


Accused - A YiZhan Fanfic

by Alteregofujoshi



Category: The Untamed RPF - Fandom, Wang Yibo - Fandom, Xiao Zhan - Fandom, YiZhan, ZhanYi - Fandom, wangxian - Fandom, 陈情令 | The Untamed (TV) RPF
Genre: Adult Content, Anal Sex, BJYX | Wang Yi Bo/Xiao Zhan | Sean is Real, Fluff and Smut, Gay Sex, LGBTQ Themes, Light Angst, Love, M/M, Oral Sex, RPF, Romance, Rough Sex, Separations, Shameless Smut, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-09
Updated: 2021-02-11
Packaged: 2021-03-14 20:14:49
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 24,316
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29301744
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alteregofujoshi/pseuds/Alteregofujoshi
Summary: Xiao Zhan was accused of exposing a secret that had the capacity to cause the ruin of the entire Wang family.Wang Yibo believed his partner was innocent until he found out Zhan may have lied to him and was still in contact with the Xiao family.(Just when he was about to call Yibo, he found a voice message on his phone. He opened the message and it was clearly Zhan’s voice. Amidst sobs, he heard Zhan say “I read it…I read..the…information. I knew they were taking that route. I lied”.)
Relationships: Wang Yi Bo/Xiao Zhan | Sean, Wang Yi Bo/Xiao Zhan | Sean/Original Character(s)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 67





	1. Chapter 1

Xiao Zhan paced around the room deep in his thoughts. It was almost 12am and his husband, Wang Yibo was not yet back. Ordinarily, Xiao Zhan would have been worried about his safety but this time, he knew it was different. He knew Yibo was cheating on him.

Zhan sat on the bed and picked up their wedding album. It was a small album containing just a handful of pictures. There were no guests, no cake, no friends and family, just the both of them. Zhan and Yibo had eloped and gotten married quietly in a foreign country. All this happened three years ago. 

Zhan’s family ran the biggest cosmetics company in the Northern region. His family were very well off in terms of finance, they were among the richest in the whole of XYZ country. Zhan had met Yibo through his best friend; Yu Bin. They fell in love. Zhan’s family were rather conservative and were against their relationship. They did not interfere with the relationship but when it came to marriage, they tried their best to stop it. Yibo’s family were a bit more understanding and receptive. When Zhan and Yibo returned with a marriage certificate, Zhan’s father disowned him but Yibo’s family were more than happy to have him. They were all fond of him after all. Zhan’s mother called him occasionally, she could not cut off her only child because of such a trivial matter. They kept their communication a secret for obvious reasons.

Zhan heard a sound and rushed to the window. He expected to see Yibo’s car drive in but it was a random car passing by. Zhan felt a bit disappointed. Yibo had to work late a few times but whenever he did, he called and texted Zhan constantly as he could not bear to be apart from him for too long. This time around, Yibo’s phone was turned off.

Last night, Yibo received a call at a very odd hour. Zhan woke up to the vibration of Yibo’s phone but pretended to be asleep. Yibo ran to his study which was sound proof to take the call. By the time Zhan got his hands on Yibo’s phone. The call log had been erased. He was not leaving any clues behind. Zhan was yet to confront him as he had no clue yet.

That action kept bugging Zhan until he could not hold it anymore. He asked Yibo about it. Yibo responded saying it was work. Did Yibo take him for a fool? Who calls that late? If it was really work, why did Yibo put a password on his phone right after he found out that Zhan checked his call log?

Zhan lay in bed and turned off the light. A drop of tear flowed down from his eyes landing on the pillow. Yibo promised to love him, cherish him and respect him for life. How could he do this to him? He decided to talk to his best friend, Yu Bin who also happened to be Yibo’s personal assistant. He was going to make Yu Bin tell him everything Yibo had been up to. Besides, Yu Bin introduced them both.

It happened a few years ago, Zhan was still living in the North region while Yu Bin was working and living in the South. It was Yu Bin’s birthday and Zhan decided to treat him. Yu Bin chose to have dinner in an expensive restaurant. They sat close to the door because Yu Bin wanted to see everyone going in and out. While they were eating, Zhan noticed Yu Bin tense up a bit while staring towards the door. He turned around and his eyes met with a young man. Zhan couldn’t guess his age but he knew this man was younger than he was. The man walked towards them and Yu Bin jumped to his feet.

“Hello Yu Bin, I never expected to meet you here”’ the young man kept his eyes on Zhan as he spoke. Zhan noticed Yu Bin was fidgeting a bit and wondered what kind of relationship they had. “Why not introduce me to your handsome…friend here”.

Yu Bin cleared his throat and replied, smiling, “A-Zhan, meet my boss, Wang Yibo”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a kudos if you liked this.


	2. Chapter 2

Ah his boss, no wonder Yu Bin was so tense. Zhan noticed Yu Bin was frowning as he introduced them. He decided to be nice so as not to land Yu Bin in trouble and ask the reason for his frown later. Zhan was unhappy that this handsome man-made Yu Bin frown on his birthday.

Talking about handsome, this man was indeed handsome. Zhan had a lot of admirers back home but he was sure he would lose their favour if they ever set their eyes on Yibo. Yibo was tall, almost as tall as Zhan himself. He was wearing a gray suit, as if he was going to work. His hair was styled backwards, exposing his handsome facial features. Zhan could see he was nearly flawless. Young, tall, handsome and rich. Zhan felt he needed to make his Yu Bin look good and act all sophisticated. The kind of act he reserved whenever his father dragged him along to those boring meetings.

“Hello Wang Yibo, I'm Zhan, Xiao Zhan. I'm best friends with Yu Bin”. Zhan stood up and extended his hands for a handshake. He wanted to show off to Yibo, show that he could compare to him, he was…taller. He was confident that he beat Yibo in that aspect. He dressed casually today as he didn’t expect to meet anyone apart from his friend who had seen him in his worst clothes. He was wearing a pair of blue jeans with a red t shirt. He wore a pair of white sneakers to go with it.

Yibo took his hands to return the handshake. “Hello Zhan. Since we are all acquainted, you should come over to our table, let’s eat together”. He signaled towards his table but Zhan didn’t turn to look.

“You’re so kind but we don’t want to intrude. Besides, its Yu Bin’s birthday and I came just to spend time with him”. Xiao Zhan exposed a charming smile, exposing a perfect set of teeth. His hands were still being held by Yibo. He noticed Yibo’s palms were a lot bigger than his and they felt really warm, almost comfortable.

“What a coincidence! It’s also my birthday. You have to treat the birthday boy…the birthday boys, right Yu Bin”, Yibo did not let go of Zhan’s hand as he spoke and he did not take his eyes off Zhan for one moment. He noticed his flustered expression and he could see the tip of his ears turn red. Yibo felt he was cute and wanted to know him better.

“A-Zhan, lets eat with them. It’s his birthday too”. That being said, Yibo pulled Zhan to a table, Yu Bin followed closely. The family already knew Yu Bin, he was Yibo’s trusted assistant. Always competent, kept his mouth shut and was of the best behavior. The family loved him for that and took him as a part of the family, especially since he was an orphan. He knew more about Yibo than they did. Yibo trusted him that much.

Yibo introduced Zhan to his mother; Wang Zi, His father; Wang Han and his brother; Liu Haikuan. Liu Haikuan was actually his cousin. His mother was Wang Han’s younger sister. They died when Haikuan was just eleven and he had lived with the Wangs since then.

They all said hello to Zhan, Yibo’s mum fussed about how handsome he looked and asked Yu Bin where he had been hiding this person. She lamented not having a daughter when Zhan said he was single. Yibo asked her if he meant nothing to her. They all laughed and failed to get the joke but Yu Bin, smart as he was, could tell Yibo had set his eyes on Zhan the moment he walked into the restaurant.

“Xiao Zhan, are you in any way related to Xiao Zhang of Xiao cooperation’s in the Northern state where you come from?” Wang Han asked.

“Yes sir, he is my father. Do you know him?”

“Ha! Small world. I know your father. He is an acquaintance. We work together some times. If I have business to do in the north or east, I have to go through him and if he has any business in the south or west, he goes through me. Very handsome man. I see where you get your looks from”.

From the discussion, he could tell Wang cooperation, Yibo’s family company, was hiding under the guise of being a computer game company just like his family’s company was hiding under the guise of being a cosmetic company.

After dinner, Zhan promised to send Yibo a gift through Yu Bin but Yibo gave him his contact and asked Zhan to contact him directly. Zhan asked Yu Bin why he was reluctant to introduce them since Yibo did not seem bad at all. “A-Zhan, I’ve seen many women come and go from Yibo’s life. I felt he was straight, I was a bit surprised that’s all. You think I didn’t notice the way he looked at you?”, Yu Bin teased the already blushing Xiao Zhan. “By the way, if he asks you out, you have to agree for the sake of our friendship”.

The two friends teased each other all the way home and Zhan kept thinking of contacting Yibo again. Four months after that, they were officially boyfriends.

“I thought you were asleep, what were you thinking about? You didn’t hear me come in”, Yibo’s voice woke Zhan from his thoughts. 

“How can I sleep when you’re out this late and your phone is turned off”, Zhan got up and helped Yibo take off his clothes. Yibo wanted to kiss Zhan on the lips but he turned his face sideways and the kiss landed on his cheeks.

“Baby I’m sorry, I was tied up at work. Don’t be offended. Let me freshen up and come cuddle with you, I need your warmth, I’ve had a tiring day”.

Yibo went to take a bath and Zhan noticed something, Yibo’s body reeked of female cologne.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a kudos if you liked this.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> R18, NSFW

Zhan had pretended to sleep before Yibo returned from the bathroom. He decided not to confront Yibo until there was definite proof but he sure as hell wasn’t going to have sex with him until then. When Yibo returned, he touched Zhan and tried to get between his legs. He finally let Zhan be when he found him uncooperative. He held tightly to him instead and slept like a baby. 

Zhan was driving back from work the next day. They had spent the whole day trying to restore a vintage painting from one of the most famous artists of all time only to find out it was fake. They spent so much time and resources. For Zhan, it was the excitement. Zhan works with the biggest art studio in the northern state. He was an artist and loved everything concerning art. He felt downcast that he lost the opportunity to touch an original vintage piece and was looking forward to ranting to his husband once he got home. Yibo would always listen to him and make him feel better. Even if he had his reservations right now, he still missed his husband. 

Zhan noticed a familiar car, Yibo’s car parked on the side of the road. He was excited at the thought of running into Yibo and decided to wait for Yibo to come to the car. He checked out his dress and smoothened out his collar, opening a few buttons of his shirt. He ran his hand through his originally well styled hair, giving himself an enticing look. He bit his pink lips making it slightly red, just the way Yibo liked it. He was sure Yibo was going to be all over him the moment he saw him. He had done this a few times and each time, he ended up begging for mercy. It was as if that simple action of his was more than enough to turn his well composed husband into a ravaging beast.

Soon after, Yibo was seen walking out of the hotel across the road. Zhan moved to get out of his car but noticed a lady following closely behind him. He was stunned and found himself unable to move. What was Yibo doing in a hotel? His work never required him to go in and out of hotels for any reason. He suddenly remembered the smell on Yibo’s body last night. Zhan hoped in his heart that he was wrong. He hoped she was walking on her own and she didn’t know Yibo. They weren’t too close to each other but it was obvious they were walking together. Yibo entered his car, the lady went around and got into the passengers seat of Yibo’s car.

Zhan felt his heart pounding in his chest, it felt as if his heart was tied tightly, he felt uncomfortable. He wanted to know the truth but from this, he wasn’t sure if he was ready to face the truth. Not to jump into hasty conclusions, he decided to call Yibo.

“Hey love, how are you doing? Where are you?”, Zhan tried to sound as normal as possible.

“I’m at work, I'm in the middle of something important. I’d call you later”, without another word, Yibo ended the call.

He lied with such ease. Zhan could feel his anger build up. That brat, how could he? He did all sort of rubbish during the day and came home at night claiming he loved him. Zhan started his car, driving towards the direction Yibo left in. He spotted Yibo’s car not too far from him. He decided to follow Yibo, he was done with the lies. He had to let him know he had been caught and end this thing for good.

End what exactly? The marriage? Was he ready, was he willing to leave Yibo? He was so concerned about finding out the truth, he didn’t think of what he would do after. He found himself involuntarily taking a turn different from the one his husband took. He saw himself driving home. He was going to wait for Yibo, he was going to…going to…what was he going to do when Yibo got home?

Zhan heard Yibo’s car drive in. He went into the living room to wait for Yibo. Zhan got home at exactly 4:54pm. He had had enough time to calm down. It was a few minutes past 1am when Yibo drove in. Zhan could not shake off the feeling that Yibo was with her this whole time. How else would he explain not calling him after promising to?

“Baby, I'm ba…”, Yibo’s words were interrupted with a ‘pa’ sound. It took him a second to realize Zhan had slapped him in the face. Yibo was stupefied. Zhan? Zhan slapped him? He held his face, he felt he was dreaming but the pain felt real. Not the physical pain but the hurt he felt in his heart. Why did Zhan hit him?

“Baby…what…”, Yibo took a deep breath and continued, “I’m sure there is an explanation for that, I'm all ears”.

They both stood facing each other. Zhan could see Yibo was sad, he started to feel slightly guilty. He should not have hit him. When he remembered the scene he saw earlier, he got upset all over again.

“Yibo, I saw you, I saw you walk out of a hotel with a lady this afternoon. I called you and you lied you were at work”, Zhan snapped at Yibo, leaving him disoriented.

“Baby, I…”, he tried to explain himself, to calm Zhan down but he simply could not find his words at the moment.

“Yibo, how long has this been going on? You come home late, hide to take your calls and you erase your calls and messages. You even put a password on your phone. How did we get here?”

“Yibo took a deep breath, walked to Zhan and held him across his waist, bringing him into a hug.

“Baby, it’s not what you think. I know my actions lately have said otherwise but I want you to believe me. I'm not cheating, I’d never do that. Give me a few days and I’d be able to tell you everything. It’s about work and I can’t say anything for the time being”. Yibo was sad that Zhan felt this way. He wondered how he could get himself out of this situation. He had to act fast so as not to let Zhan suspect too much. If Zhan was pushed and he decided to investigate, Zhan might find out things… No, he couldn’t let that happen. He had to be more careful and act less suspicious. 

Zhan tried to struggle but he felt Yibo holding him so tightly. He didn’t know how much he had missed his husband’s touch. Yibo had never lied to him, he believed him. Yibo loved him a little too much. He knew that. Yibo’s work sometimes needed him to be secretive, he also knew that but it had never happened to this extent. He decided to give Yibo a few days to sort things out so he could explain.

Zhan hugged Yibo back. “I lost control of my emotions and hit you, I’m sorry. I won’t do it again”.

“No need to apologise”, a red-cheeked Yibo stroked Zhan’s back as he coaxed him. “Just compensate me”.

Zhan knew exactly what Yibo wanted as his hands that were originally on his back had moved downwards, caressing his butt. Zhan had not done this in a while so his body reacted really quickly. He wanted to pout for a bit but his reaction betrayed him. He was even more eager than Yibo himself.

Yibo kissed Zhan softly. He held Zhan across his wait with one hand while the other hand held the back of Zhan’s head. He sucked his lips, using his tongue to probe into Zhan’s mouth. Zhan tried to resist but his erection was throbbing. He took Yibo’s hand and placed it on his erection.

“Touch me”, he said under his breath. Yibo quickly undid Zhan’s zip and put his hand inside his trousers. He loved Zhan with every bit of him. Zhan had been resisting him for a while and he, he had been carried away with work. He didn’t notice when he started to make Zhan feel uncomfortable. Now, Zhan has allowed him touch him, he didn’t intend to rush it…but someone was impatient.

“Yibo, I want you inside me”. Zhan’s words seemed to have an aphrodisiac effect on Yibo. He could already imagine himself inside Zhan, his warm and tight insides clinging tightly to his penis. Yibo felt himself release a little bit of cum. He quickly got out of his clothes while Zhan took his off.

Zhan pushed him on the couch and straddled Yibo. He held on to Yibo’s penis and rubbed it on the entrance of his back hole.

“Baby…lube…”, Yibo managed to summon his quickly diminishing self-restraint and spoke through gritted teeth.

“No…I want you, right now”. Zhan knew he was going to regret his decision but he did not care. He just wanted to be rammed mercilessly by his husband. Yibo, on the other hand, still had some self-restraint. He placed Zhan, lying on the couch and went inside the room to go get a tube of lubricant. By the time he returned, Zhan had already inserted a finger into himself.

Yibo applied some lube and added one of his fingers. They both had one finger each in Zhan. Zhan pushed his finger in and out while Yibo probed around to find that sweet spot. He and Zhan had done this a lot of times so that spot was easy to find.

“Ah…Yibo…ah…yes…yess, that spot”, Yibo opened him up for a while, adding another finger. Then he withdrew his and Zhan’s fingers, replacing them with his penis. Zhan’s moans had driven him crazy. He wanted that moan to come from pleasure given by his penis, not his finger. He positioned his penis at the entrance and pushed it in slowly.

Zhan felt a mixture of pleasure and pain, just the way he liked it. He liked Yibo opening him with his finger just a little and do the rest with his penis. He sucked on Yibo’s neck while Yibo entered him. Yibo was now completely in. he didn’t move for some time, allowing Zhan’s insides to get used to his penis. He kissed Zhan and held his penis, stroking it lightly. When he felt Zhan’s muscles relax, he pulled out slightly then moved forward with a heavy thrust. He immediately felt Zhan’s insides gripping him tightly, Zhan’s body jerked a little and he felt Zhan pour all over his hands. Just one thrust had made Zhan come. Yibo wondered how much Zhan had missed him and at the same time, he felt proud of his ‘accomplishment’.

Zhan’s firm grip on his penis pushed him over the edge. Yibo climaxed not long after Zhan and felt all his initial pride quickly turn into embarrassment. Zhan kissed him, they were at it for a long time before finally parting their lips. 

They both lay in each other’s arms, leg entwined, enjoying the warmth they brought each other. Yibo has been so busy with work and trying to secretly carry out his mission. He was so stressed, he temporarily forgot Zhan was his ultimate stress relief.

“Zhan…baby…you know how much I love you, right?”

“…”

Zhan had fallen asleep.


	4. Chapter 4

“Yu Bin! You hardly have time for me these days, how….”

Zhan, feeling guilty for hitting Yibo last night decided to visit him in his office. He got him a bunch of roses. 

“A-Zhan!” Yu Bin, shocked to see Zhan quickly closed the file he was holing and rushed forward to stand in front of Zhan, subtly preventing him from entering Yibo’s office.

“A-Zhan, I’ve not seen you in a while. You're always busy when I call. Ah, you’ve abandoned me”, Yu Bin was avoiding Zhan’s eyes. He rubbed the back of his neck as he spoke.

Zhan didn’t fail to avoid Yu Bin’s change in attitude the moment he walked in. Yu Bin kept acting like he was caught doing something bad. “Don’t be silly Yu Bin, we see every week. You were at my place over the weekend. If we see more often than that, we might as well move in together”.

Zhan took a step to the side, intending to get out of Yu Bins way and walk to Yibo’s office.

“A-Zhan”, Yu Bin blocked his way…again, “I need your help with something, come over here”. He pulled Zhan to his desk. There was a file on the desk, he quickly put a pile of other files on it and asked Zhan to help him calculate something while he stood. He claimed to be distracted and kept getting a different figure every time.

Zhan could tell Yu Bin was trying to stall him but he decided to indulge him. He got the calculator on Yu Bin’s table, pressed some numbers and showed it to him. “Here, done. Simple addition”. Zhan smiled and wanted to walk away to Yibo’s office. This time, Yu Bin held his wrist and pulled him back.

“A-Zhan…, errm… there’s something I’ve been meaning to discuss with you”, he leaned on a button on the table. This button allowed Yibo and Yu Bin communicate without using the phone. If Yibo held the button, Yu Bin could hear him from his desk and if Yu Bin pressed the button, Yibo could hear him speak. Zhan saw everything but feigned ignorance, he was going to say something but Yu Bin cut him short.

“It’s about Haikuan…Zhan...Haikuan said…”, he was thinking of what to say when Yibo’s office door suddenly opened and a woman, the same woman he saw walking out of the hotel with Yibo, stepped out of the office. She didn’t even spare them a looked and walked away.

Zhan went into Yibo’s office. This time, Yu Bin did not stop him. He knew they were both hiding something from him. He always thought Yu Bin had his back and would never support Yibo to hurt him.

“Zhan…Baby…What are you doing here? You didn’t tell me you were coming”. The flustered Yibo spoke as he walked towards Zhan, pulling him into a hug. “Are those mine?”

“Who else would I buy flowers for? I wanted to surprise you, to say sorry for last night”.

Zhan and Yibo talked and when Zhan left, he pulled Yu Bin to the door.

“You’re my best friend, Yibo is your boss but I need to hear the truth. What is going on with my husband and that woman”.

“Err…err…”, Yu Bin could not find the right words to explain…to coax Zhan into believing she was just a business partner.

“Are you also going to treat me like an idiot, Yu Bin?”, Yu Bin could see Zhan was worried. If Yu Bin took Yibo’s side, that would mean Zhan was truly left with no one he could trust completely.

“A-Zhan, I'm sorry I startled you. She is indeed a business partner. You know the kind of work Yibo does, things like this are bound to occur but I assure you, she is a business partner”.

Zhan decided not to pursue this matter any further. One could cheat with a business partner, right? Yu Bin might have said the truth but Zhan felt some things were being kept from him. The peace he felt in his heart after making up with Yibo last night was now gone. He decided to be more alert.

About Yibo’s work, Yibo works in his father’s company, Wang cooperation. They produce both hardware and software for video game companies. No one except Zhan, Yibo, Yu Bin, Liu Haikuan, Wang Zi and Wang Han knew the truth. They used that description as a cover up but what they did underground was to smuggle arms and ammunition across the country. If one wanted to move arms discretely, Wang Han was one of the few people to go to. He worked for both the government and private individuals. He had connections and backing in high places. As long as his business wasn’t out in the open, everyone agreed to turn a blind eye. Wang Han controlled the South and West while Xiao Zhang, Xiao Zhan’s father controlled the North and East.

They both never got into each other’s territories. They were not friends but they were not enemies either. They often worked together and had a cordial relationship. Wang Han was happy about Yibo and Zhan’s marriage, thinking it would bring both families closer but Xiao Zhang, who had been betrayed in the past, preferred to work alone.

Zhan had always wanted to follow a different path. He and Yibo agreed discontinue with that line of business some day and do something more decent. Zhan succeeded in doing that when he was disowned by his father for going against his choice of a partner. Yibo on the other hand, seemed to be getting deeper and deeper into the family business.

He understood there were things that couldn’t be said but Yibo trusted him, he hid nothing from Zhan all along. He wondered what had changed. Zhan decided to throw all caution to the wind and find out what exactly was going on. He could not take the suspense anymore.


	5. Chapter 5

‘Ding ding’

“……”

‘Ding ding’

“……”

‘Ding ding’

Yibo’s phone received a string of messages non-stop. Yibo was taking his bath while Zhan was getting ready for bed. Zhan picked up the phone, intending to see who was messaging at that ungodly hour. He had barely touched the phone when Yibo ran out of the bathroom and grabbed the phone.

Things had progressed to the stage where Yibo now takes his phone to the bathroom. He could not put his notifications on silent because ‘he was expecting important calls’. He promised Zhan that everything will be over in a week and he could finally let Zhan know about it

Zhan heard Yibo speaking from the bathroom, “It’s in the safe in my office, no one has the password…no, Zhan won’t see it. I won’t be taking it with…okay see you tomorrow …”.   
Zhan listened for a while and couldn’t make sense of the conversation. What was Yibo hiding in his office? He decided to occupy himself with something fun, Yibo was driving him crazy. He picked up a laptop to browse the internet. Usually, they both shared the same laptop at home but these days, Yibo had started taking it to work because he sometimes had to work in transit, he couldn’t carry his office desktop.

When Zhan opened the computer’s browser, the interface on display was the picture of a woman. Upon closer look, it turned out to be the social media account of that same woman he met in Yibo’s office. What are the odds? Why was Yibo looking at her pictures? This was the last straw for Zhan, he decided to do a thorough search of Yibo’s office. Yibo was going out of town in 2 days and would be away for the weekend so he had ample time. 

When Yibo came out of the bathroom, Zhan pretended to be asleep. Yibo lay down next to him and hugged him from behind. “Baby, I know you’re awake. You’re still mad at me. When I return on Monday, I would tell you everything”. He buried his face in Zhan’s neck, soon his breaths became slow and regular, Zhan knew he had slept off.

On Friday night, Yibo was out of town. Zhan went into Yibo’s office. The security let him in as they were all familiar with him. There were a few other people in the building but work had closed for the day. He went straight to Yibo’s office. Upon arriving there, he noticed a file on Yu Bin’s desk. The file was similar to the one Yu Bin was hiding from him the other day. He opened it and what he saw made him lose his mind. It contained details of Yibo’s work, mostly meeting with a particular woman. he was able to recall the name he saw on the computer and found out it was the same woman. Yibo had been spending too much time with her, mostly meeting in hotels or other undisclosed locations.

Yibo had travelled with that woman and Yu Bin booked only one room. Even if the woman booked her room by herself, did Yibo think it was unnecessary for him to know this little piece of information? Yibo promised to tell him everything after his return, why? He wanted to keep him off his back so he could have an opportunity to..to…he couldn’t bring himself to complete his thought.

Zhan was no longer thinking straight. He barged into Yibo’s office and found the safe. He didn’t know the password so he called Yu Bin.

“Yu Bin, what is the password to Yibo’s safe, the one in his office?”.

“A-Zhan, I don’t know…” Yu Bi wondered why Zhan suddenly wanted to know the password, “… but remember what you told me back in college, men who are in love usually use their spouses birthday or that of their children as their passwords ha-ha…”. Yu Bin seemed to remember something, he was walking when he got Zhan’s call. He stopped in his tracks, “A-Zhan, why are you ask…”. Zhan didn’t wait for him to finish immediately the safe opened. It turned out that the password was his own birthday.

Inside the safe was nothing but a tablet. Zhan felt there was another hidden safe somewhere. His instincts told him to check the tablet, maybe it contained what “Zhan could not find”. Zhan took the tablet, sat on a couch and opened it. He checked for pictures and messages but there were none. No emails, no instant messages, no social media app. He was about to search for another safe when he decided to check the documents and came across a pdf file. When he opened the file, he realized why Yibo hid it far from everybody. He instantly regretted his actions. He wanted to keep it and walk away but…he had to know exactly what his partner was doing. How far his partner had gone into this smuggling business.

The document contained some important information. Yibo, though he had always worked with his father and brother, he was never in charge of logistics and movement of weapons.  
To move arms from one location to the other, the route had to be meticulously planned and only a few trusted people should know about this. This was usually Liu Haikuan’s duty but for some reason, Yibo had to handle it this time. Zhan was well learned in such matters, after all his father did the same business and accompanied him several times.

Zhan took his time and went through the file from beginning to end. Yibo had made a solid plan but most of the hard work was put into the detour. It was heavily guarded like it was carrying something important. Meanwhile, the real vehicle carrying the arms was not guarded at all. It was a dump truck and no one would suspect. From the looks of things, it seemed the vehicle was already on its way and only Yibo was aware of this particular piece of information.

What did this have to do with that woman? Zhan couldn’t establish a connection. There was nothing else to see. He wondered if Yibo make that call on purpose to distract him? Knowing Yibo travelled with that woman, he couldn’t put his mind at rest. He wanted to keep searching but felt he had had enough for one night, he would wait for Yibo to return and if Yibo’s explanations were not good enough, he would...

“A-Zhan! What are you doing?”. Yu Bin’s scream nearly made him drop the tablet he was holding in fright. Yu Bin had walked in on Zhan still holding the tablet. “I rushed over here after I got your call. I never knew you were actually going to open this safe”. Yu Bin looked distressed, he had been running and he was panting. “A-Zhan, this is classified information, I don’t even know what’s in it”. Yu Bin was worried, almost as if a big secret has been exposed.

“Ah, Is that why you nearly scared me to death? It’s not a big deal. I came across it by accident”, Zhan held his chest as he spoke, “Don’t worry, I'm not going to tell anyone, let’s go”. Zhan returned the tablet to its original position, locked the safe and left with Yu Bin.


	6. Chapter 6

“Hey baby, how are you doing?”, Zhan called Yibo as soon as he parted ways with Yu Bin. He was upset that Yibo had travelled with that woman. He wanted to lay his complains but when he heard Yibo’s voice, the anger in his heart quickly dissipated.

“Yibo…I’m fine. How are you doing? Are you alone”.

“Yes, I just settled in a few minutes ago. There is not much to do till morning,” he was quiet waiting for Zhan to speak but he heard nothing. “I can tell you want to talk. You're still worried about my actions lately right? Don’t worry, I promise to tell you everything on Monday when I return. Everything would make sense by then. For now, please trust me…”

“I understand…that’s alright”. He hesitated for some seconds but decided to ask anyway. “Yibo, that lady I saw you with, did you travel with her?”

“Yes, we travelled together but we parted ways as soon as we arrived. Zhan, we’re not close, we just had to work together for a short time. Please put your mind at ease”. This explanation pacified Zhan for the time being. He believed every word Yibo said to him. Deep down, he hoped Yibo was not lying.

They talked for hours until Zhan fell asleep. He now had a rough idea of what had happened. Yibo had to keep this movement a secret, even from Zhan. That explained a lot. If the woman is somehow related to this whole thing, it would explain why Yibo had appeared to be sneaking around. He only had one thing left to do, wait for Yibo’s return.

……

Zhan hurried home from work on Monday as he knew he would find Yibo at home when he returned. He had a lot to talk about but first, he had missed his touch. He imagined them doing all sorts of things all night long. The thought of sleeping in Yibo’s arms made him smile, the member in his pants was also anticipating Yibo’s return.

As soon as he entered the house, Yibo rushed to him and pulled him into a tight hug. There were others in the house; Yu Bin, Liu Haikuan and Wang Zi. Zhan immediately sensed something wrong. Everyone had a strange look on their faces. Yu Bin had the worst look. Zhan could feel Yibo trembling as he held him.

“Zhan, listen to me, no matter what happens, do not admit to doing it. Deny everything, I would find a way out of this mess”, Yibo whispered to Zhan’s ears as he held him. Zhan was taken aback. He has no idea what was going on. When he last spoke to Yibo, all was fine. Deny what? He just wanted to sleep with his husband, what was it with these gloomy faces. Did the movement go wrong?

“Zhan, did you open the safe in Yibo’s office? Did you find the information hidden in the tablet?”, Liu Haikuan who had been sitting crossed legged suddenly spoke. His eyes held no affection for Zhan at the moment.

“A-Zhan did nothing. I was the one who read the information. Zhan just happened to be there”, Yu Bin who was now visibly trembling tried to protect his best friend.

Haikuan looked surprised and turned to face YuBin who was sitting on a single couch beside him. “YuBin, I know Zhan is your friend but this matter is really sensitive”.

Yubin put his head down but didn’t say anything further. Haikuan continued. “Okay, what route were the weapons transported through?”

“Two black vans, escorted by a truck full of security agents carried the weapons through route A14. They commenced their journey as early as 6am on Saturday morning. But this is just a detour. The weapons are actually loaded in a school bus, each carrying 12 highly skilled sharp shooters dressed in ordinary clothes. They took route A273 and started their journey around 7am”, Yu Bin gave them a detailed explanation of the original plan.

“As expected, Yu Bin, you were ready to take the fall for Zhan. Those two routes are actually the detours. There was a third route only Yibo knew about. Even the drivers were not aware of what they were transporting. How was that piece of information leaked? It so happened that Zhan got his hands on the information prior to that. Apart from Yibo, only Zhan knew. What was Zhan doing snooping around? He knows what we do and he knows some things are better of left alone. He knows there are things he shouldn’t go looking for but he went the extra mile to find this information, dragging you into it as well”, Haikuan’s voice carried a lot of annoyance as he lashed out at Yu Bin for trying to protect Zhan.

Zhan had not said a word all along. He stood there, still tightly embraced by Yibo. He now had an idea of the situation and knew how severe it was. The transport route had been compromised. Something had gone wrong. Apart from Yibo, only he knew the exact route. Yu Bin had panicked and tried to protect him, this only made him look even more guilty. Yibo was scared, he had never seen him this terrified.

Haikuan turned to Wang Xi, “Mother, I told you but you wouldn’t believe me. Zhan is 2-faced. He puts on an innocent look, making us believe he had no interest in our line of business, fooled us all, especially Yibo. What do you think his aim is? His family cut him off, do you really believe that lie? He is their only child and they doted on him from childhood. They wouldn’t really cut him off just because he married Yibo. Remember what happened to the family that originally controlled the Eastern underworld?”

“That’s enough Haikuan!”, Yibo finally reacted. Zhan, for the first time since he returned had a proper look at Yibo. He was handsome as always but his eyes were red, one could tell he was terrified, exasperated and unstable. Yibo held on to Zhan’s hand and asked.

“Zhan…baby, did you do it, I believe you didn’t but I want to hear you say it?”

“Yibo, I don’t even know what is going on?”

“Did you open the tablet, did you see the route the weapons were transported through, did you leak out this information?”

Yibo’s anxious looks, Haikuan’s words, Wang Zi’s glare and Yu Bin’s restlessness all caused him to panic. For the first time, he lied to Yibo without batting an eyelash. “I opened the safe but I did not look at the tablet”.

“Take him away!”.


	7. Chapter 7

Zhan was taken for interrogation. The Wang family were part of those who ran the underworld in the South and West. They had access to a lot of facilities that only a handful of people knew existed. The government usually turned a blind eye to their activities as long as it doesn’t disrupt law and order and as long as they didn’t become unrestrained. They occasionally did favors for those in power. Hence, both sides did not go overboard.

Zhan was taken for interrogation in an isolated facility. He was made to sit in a room which had only an iron chair and a wooden table. There were cameras and listening devices around, which they made no plans to conceal. Zhan sat alone wondering what exactly happened. He noticed Wang Han had not come with them, he was probably being held hostage. Yibo walked in and Zhan leapt up from his seat, rushing towards him.

“Yibo, tell me exactly what is going on”.

“The weapons were transported via a route no one else knows about but the vehicle was hijacked easily. These people knew beforehand that the vehicle was going to go through that route. There was no mess made, the vehicle disappeared neatly and quietly”. Yibo wiped the sweat gathered on his forehead and continued, “These weapons are few in number but they contain high grade weapons. Father has been taken into custody. We’ve been given 2weeks to find and deliver the weapon or father dies”. Yibo face displayed a complicated emotion.

“That lady you saw me with, she is actually the middle man for the people who contracted us. As you already know, they don’t come in person, they don’t show their faces. This movement was small scale and father specifically requested that I carry this one out. Seems Haikuan….Ah, I don’t even know why he didn’t allow Haikuan do it this time”.

No one understood the gravity of what had happened better than Zhan. In the not-too-distant past, Zhan’s father was only in charge of the north. The family in charge of the east got betrayed and their movement was ambushed. They never recovered from it. Within 2 months, the family was wiped out and Zhan’s father, with his vast resources, took over the east. Everyone pointed fingers at him thinking he brought this on the east to gain more power for himself. It was a bloody incident. That experience made Zhan decide to do something else with his life. He couldn’t bear to endanger his own family.

“Baby…why…why were you probing? What did you go to find in the safe? Yu Bin told us everything before he realized the danger. He tried to change his statement later but we already knew the truth”.

Zhan kept quiet, he looked towards the camera and Yibo understood what he was trying to say.

“Don’t worry, I turned them off before coming here. I told them not to listen in on our conversation”. Zhan breathed a sigh of relief and replied Yibo.

“Yibo, I was worried. You were coming home late, hiding to take calls and messages, deleting your logs. You come home smelling of a female’s perfume, I saw you with a woman coming out of a hotel, you were looking at her pictures, you had her social media page open. Yibo, you even travelled with her. There were too many clues, what was I to think? You and Yu Bin were acting strange, so I…I…”

“You thought I was cheating, yeah?”, Yibo was almost in tears. “By the way, what do you mean by I had her social media page open? I don’t know her outside of work and the only investigation I carried out on her was through the company”.

“I'm still not convinced you're not cheating, maybe a little more explanation would suffice. Yibo, you promised to quit this business but you seem to be going deeper into it. We’ve been married for 3 years, have you forgotten our..”

“Baby, I told you, it was all business. I was asked to arrange for the movement. It was my first time, I was nervous. The less you knew, the better it was for you. I was carried away and neglected you, I'm sorry. I want this sorted out and I promise you, I'm out. I’d give you all the explanation you want but the most important thing is clearing this mess. Baby, tell me the truth. What exactly did you see? You can tell me anything, you know I would protect you with my life.”

Zhan wanted to tell his husband everything but he was scared that others might be listening. He thought the family loved him but apparently, Haikuan certainly hated him and Wang Zi seemed to have her reservations about him. He decided to play safe for the time being.

“Yibo, darling, it is as I said. I opened the safe but I didn’t see anything”.

Yibo felt relieved. As long as Zhan didn’t see the information, he had a point he could argue with. He knew Zhan would never lie to him. He promised to investigate the matter and told Zhan to stick to the truth. He assured Zhan that he trusted him completely and promised to come back with any new information.

“Zhan… give me a little time”. With that, Yibo exited the room Zhan was being held and spoke to the interrogator.

“Do not use any form of torture on him, he will tell you all he knows. Whatever he says is the truth”.

“Yes sir”.

As soon as Yibo left, Wang Zi came out of where she had been sitting with Haikuan and Yu Bin. She looked at the interrogator and spoke with a stern voice.

“My husband’s life is at stake and I believe Zhan is lying. Torture him, even if he speaks”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Other chapters are being edited for posting.


	8. Chapter 8

Yu Bin paced up and down in the living room. Haikuan was on the phone, trying to use his connections to find the missing items but so far there were no leads. Yu Bin noticed he was no longer on a call. He moved closer to him. “Haikuan Ge, what is going to happen to A-Zhan?”

Haikuan took a deep breath, leaned backwards on the chair and crossed his legs. He was in his living room, Yu Bin had come to see him to plead on Zhan’s behalf. He had known Zhan for a long time, he had never experienced any form of hardship. The situation he was in right now was probably unbearable for him.. Zhan grew up surrounded by love from his parents. The only time his parents disagreed with him was when he decided to marry Yibo. Yu Bin was always there for him and their relationship had only gotten better. Naturally, he was worried about his friend’s safety. He wasn’t sure if Zhan’s father was going to try to help. Besides, the whole thing was still a secret, word had not gotten out.

“If he returns the weapons, he would live. For Yibo’s sake, I'm sure the Wang family would go easy on him but if anything happens to father…I can assure you…not even I can save him. He would be long gone before word gets to his father. Yu Bin, I don’t want anything to happen to my father. I hope Zhan realizes his mistakes before it’s too late”.

“But…have you considered the fact that A-Zhan might be innocent?”

“Apart from Zhan, the person most likely to leak tis information is you. I know it wasn’t you…Yu Bin, I'm also baffled. What does Zhan stand to gain? He is no longer in contact with his family, else that would make sense. I know his father is really ambitious. When my parents passed, He tried to take control of our Western territory but Wang Han is family, it was easier for him to take over with my support”.

Upon mentioning that, Yu Bin looked like he just had an epiphany. He sat down with a thud. “Haikuan Ge…Zhan still talks with his mother. He communicates with his family! Could it be…no….”. Yu Bin was terrified. Zhan looked guilty from every aspect. If Zhan really did leak out that information, would that mean he didn’t really know his friend all these years? 

“What? Yu Bin, are you sure of what you’re saying?”

“Yes! I know Zhan better than anyone, even Yibo. He talks to his mother occasionally. Haikuan Ge, could Zhan really be behind this? I never believed he could do such a thing until now”.

“Haikuan Ge, I don’t want my friend to die. Please do something, please help him”. One minute, it seemed like Yu Bin was adding more fuel to the fire and the next, it seemed like he wanted his friend safe. Haikuan concluded that Yu Bin must be under a lot of pressure.

“Ah…Yu Bin”, Haikuan pulled him up and into a hug, “My hands are tied. My father is being held. I really don’t want to put you or Yibo through this but from everything you’ve told me, do you still think Zhan is innocent? You know I care about you and seeing you like this hurts me. This is difficult for me as well”.

Yu Bin was now crying uncontrollably. Haikuan was not happy seeing him like this. He hated Zhan for bringing chaos into his formerly peaceful family. Yu Bin had always warned him to be weary of Zhan. Yibo was blinded by love so Haikuan had to be on the lookout for the sake of the Wang family. Haikuan never understood what Yu Bin meant. He would never reveal his friend’s secrets but he was grateful to him for the heads up. Now that things had become like this, he finally saw what Yu Bin was tying to warn him about.

“Okay, stop crying. I would do my best. You should also try to talk to him. As long as he returns the missing items on time, I can help him. Except,he can prove his innocence by some miracle”. Haikuan patted Yu Bin as he spoke and pecked him on his cheeks.

“I need to speak to my brother, I don’t want him to be on a wild goose chase. He needs to think with his brain not his heart”. Just when he was about to call Yibo, he found a voice message on his phone. He opened the message and it was clearly Zhan’s voice. Amidst sobs, he heard Zhan say “I read it…I read..the…information. I knew they were taking that route. I lied”.

Haikuan immediately called Yibo and asked where he was. 

“Investigating what? Zhan is guilty. He admitted to seeing the plans. A little more and he would spill everything. Don’t stress yourself, come back quickly”.


	9. Chapter 9

Yibo’s plan was solid. He even added an extra layer of protection that no one knew about. He had traveled by air to another town to hand over the package in person while the package came via land. It was supposed to arrive by noon on Saturday. Yibo was careful to choose a route that had less security cameras and check points. He waited till evening and the package never arrived. The vehicle had a tracker installed but the tracker had suddenly gone offline.

No one else knew about this, not even Yu Bin. He trembled when he heard Zhan had access to his plans. He trusted Zhan completely, asking him to deny just to protect him. He blamed himself for not being secretive enough. He knew Zhan was unhappy but he wanted to keep him safe. He sensed his brother’s feelings towards Zhan had changed when Haikuan started dropping subtle hints, he didn’t want to leave any room for doubts. He hoped he could endure for a few days. Once the package had been delivered safely, he could tall Zhan everything. 

He had believed everything Zhan said to him. This voice message was clearly Zhan admitting that he saw the plans, that he lied to Yibo. Yibo could not make any sense out of it. Why would Zhan lie to him? Since when could Zhan tell a believable lie? He wanted to see Zhan as soon as possible. Could it be that he was forced to admit to the crime? He blamed himself for leaving Zhan alone…but he had to leave. He had to talk to the few people he could talk to, to find the missing vehicles carrying the package. He drove back to the place Zhan was being held.

He was livid to meet a battered Xiao Zhan. His husband’s initially flawless face now had some bruises that may leave permanent scar. He lost his composure and grabbed the interrogator by the collar, pushing him against the wall.

“I asked you not to touch him, do you want to die? How dare you go against my orders?”, Zhan bellowed.

“I'm sorry sir but your mother gave the order for me to use torture”.

Zhan and Yibo were surprised to find out that Yibo’s mum, who originally loved Zhan a lot, could order for him to be maltreated. Zhan did not blame her much, her husband’s life was in immediate danger and that of her family in the long run. He knew that he had fallen out of favour with Haikuan and Wang Zi. The only person who probably still liked him a bit was Yibo.

Yibo turned to Zhan, he was visibly trembling, “Zhan…I’m asking again, did you see what was hidden in the tablet?”

“Yes”.

Yibo slammed the table, yelling at Zhan, “Why? Why did you lie to me? I asked you to tell me the truth, I believed everything you told me. Zhan, do you know how complicated this situation has become? If I can’t prove your innocence, I'm afraid…”

“If you were open with me from the start, I would not go snooping around”, Zhan retorted. “You got so carried away that you started to neglect me. By the way, I understand you having to work with a strange woman. Why the hell would you have her perfume all over you? I told a lie because I panicked. I still am not confident that you have nothing to do with her”.

“Zhan! Can you even hear yourself? How am I supposed to believe that you didn’t rat me out? I can no longer vouch for you. Talking about keeping secrets, I heard you still communicate with your mother”. Zhan’s eyes widened upon hearing that. He never intended to keep it from Yibo but it was his mother’s request. She said it was better that way. “How could you keep that from me Zhan? I also heard you're looking to invest in companies abroad. Isn’t that something you should also discuss with your partner? Was that your escape plan?”

Zhan suddenly realized something. Yu Bin was quick to rat him out every time. About the tablet, about his mother, about the investments…By the way, if Yu Bin hadn’t mentioned his birthday, Zhan would not have figured out the password to the safe. He remembered Yibo saying birthdays were too obvious to be used as passwords when Zhan tried to use his birthday as a password one time. He would never have guessed if it weren’t for Yu Bin. The sudden realization made him weak. Yu Bin, his best friend and confidant…could Yu Bin be planning something? He quickly dispelled the thought but he didn’t want to leave any stone unturned, he had to find a way to investigate Yu Bin secretly. 

“Can I at least try to prove my innocence? Send my lawyer over”, Zhan tried to request assistance from his lawyer then realized the only person he could ask for help at this moment was his father and the Wang family would never allow word of this reach Xiao Zhang until they resolved everything. He put his head on the table feeling distressed. Yibo kept talking but Zhan was not interested in listening to Yibo’s rant. When the noise was getting unbearable, Zhan told Yibo “Get out!”.


	10. Chapter 10

It has been three days since Zhan was taken away. Yibo had passed his days in misery. Apart from admitting that he saw the plans, Zhan had said nothing else. He was transferred from the interrogation room to a different room. This room had a bed and a decent bathroom but there were no windows, only an air vent. This place was indeed a cell in the underworld. Yibo had gone to see Zhan a few times but Zhan threw a tantrum, sending him away.

Yibo, along with Haikuan, Yu Bin and his mother, sat in the living room in his father’s house. They haven’t found any leads concerning the location of the weapons. They had to think of a plan to save Wang Han in case they were unable to find the weapons within the stated time.

“I think we should hand Zhan over to them”, Haikuan suggested. That way, they may be pacified and allow father live longer while we search. Even better if we can make the exchange permanent”, Haikuan’s sudden suggestion seemed to make Yu Bin shocked.

“Haikuan Ge, I don’t think that is a good idea. Are you willing to sacrifice Zhan just like that? If his family finds out…it won’t be funny. Besides, Yibo is your brother. Are you going to allow him go through something as difficult as losing his husband?”

“What about my father? Is he not innocent? I don’t know why he gave Yibo such an important task, knowing how much influence Zhan has over him. Look at Yibo, he has been like this for days. Not eating and not speaking. How does he intend to solve anything this way? He saw Zhan injured and he nearly beat everyone up? Look at my hand…”, he pointed to his bandaged elbow, “… if I didn’t interfere, his fists may have landed on mo…”. He paused slightly then continued, “Zhan is guilty. Yibo has to accept it sooner or later. The earlier the better”.

Yibo had been sitting quietly listening to his family and Yu Bin talk about sending his Zhan to…God knows where. He had nothing to say but he certainly would not let that happen. He had snapped at Zhan but in his heart, he knew Zhan was innocent. He certainly felt bad when he found out Zhan lied to him but he understood, Zhan was scared. Zhan had become a shadow of himself. Who wouldn’t? The only thing he had ever asked for was that they stay away from this business and start up something on their own. Yibo had no objections, he kept stalling for no reason. Zhan always talked about how dangerous this business could be. Yibo acknowledged it but he had never experienced it first-hand. Now, his Zhan was suffering, locked up because of him.

He remembered the first time Zhan watched him in a motorcycle race with other members of the racing club he had joined. Zhan had screamed at him all day asking him not to try anything this dangerous again. This happened before they got married. Zhan had always liked the quiet, easy and safe life…

“One week”, Yibo suddenly blurted out to everyone’s surprise. “Give me one to do my findings, to try to locate the stolen items”.

“Yibo Di, we don’t have time on our hands. We need to act fast. I don’t want anything to happen to father”, Haikuan tried to convince Yibo.

“So you want to use my husband as a peace offering? Who gave you he right to do that? You think you care more about my own father than me? Have you forgotten who his real son is? Do you…”

Haikuan snapped at Yibo, “Real son? You're nothing but a weakling controlled by his partner. When it comes to Zhan, you lose the ability to make sound decisions. How can you endanger us all because of that…that…”

With long strides, Yibo appeared beside Haikuan and lifted him up with his collar. He pinned him against the wall. “That what? I dare you to call him names Haikuan. Just say that trash that is about to come out of your mouth”.

“Stop it both of you!”, Wang Zi could not take it anymore. “Stop it. Yibo, you have five days. Five days from today, I will personally send Zhan over with the evidence we have. Do what you must”.

Yibo walked out of the meeting. Yu Bin was too terrified to say anything. Haikuan was also upset. He said goodbye to his mother and left with Yu Bin following closely behind.

“Haikuan Ge, you can’t fight with your brother, family is family after all”, Yu Bin spoke to him in an almost silent voice as Haikuan as they walked to the parking lot.

“Whose side are you on anyway Yu Bin? You know better than I do what Zhan is capable of. Why do you still support him so much? I know he is your friend but you have me now. I can’t let him hurt my family. Apart from you, they’re all I have. They don’t even treat me well, you said it yourself. I do all the dirty work and Yibo remains clean, the face of the company. I had no objections doing all that because I thought we were one family and I thought father appreciated my abilities, that was until you pointed it out. Now you want to pick Zhan over me?” Haikuan voice carried a hint of sadness as he spoke.

“I’m not picking sides. I choose you, you know that. But I can’t help it. Zhan is my friend. Sometimes, I feel bad for him”

“I understand”. Haikuan pulled Yu Bin in to a hug as he spoke. “But you know this better than I do. You suggested exchanging Zhan for father, that was a really good idea. Why did you suddenly challenge me when I brought it up?”

“Haikuan Ge, I know I brought it up but I only meant that you threaten Zhan, tell him you would send him over. That would make him speak, he would reveal the location where he is hiding those items. That was my intention”, Yu Bin put his hands over Haikuan’s shoulders and gave him a kiss on his cheeks.

“Okay, okay. Don’t be upset. Yu Bin, can we make our relationship public now? I really hate sneaking around just to be with you”. 

“Hmm, lets sort this thing out and get your father to safety, then we can talk about it”. Yu Bin’s face revealed a sincere smile but his heart held something different.

……

“Zhan, baby, I'm sorry I snapped at you. Please talk to me”. Yibo had gone to see Zhan but he wasn’t sent away this time. Zhan could see that Yibo was on the verge of a break down. They had both taken some time to cool off. Both really missed each other and each decided it would be best to work with the other. They both came to this conclusion on their own.

“I’d get you out of here, I promise. Give me a few days. Even if you don’t see me, please don’t get upset. I’d be out there doing my best”.

Zhan smiled and gestured for Yibo to sit beside him on the bed. He held Yibo’s waist and buried his face in Yibo’s neck. Yibo could tell he was in tears and this further motivated Yibo. Even if it meant alerting Xiao Zhang, Xiao Zhan’s father, he was ready to do anything. Yibo noticed Zhan was trying to draw a pattern on his back as he held him in his embrace. He paid more attention and was able to pick up the name ‘Yu Bin’. Yibo was baffled. He understood Zhan had gone through a lot and was suspicious of everyone and everything around him but he decided to put his mind to rest.

“You want me to look into it?” Zhan nodded in response to Yibo’s question. “Okay, I’d go do that right now”.

“Stay with me, for just a little bit”. Yibo accompanied Zhan for a while and didn’t know when he fell asleep. He woke up at almost midnight and realized one thing. No matter where it was, as long as Zhan was there, he would be comfortable.

He left after promising to visit as soon as he could.


	11. Chapter 11

Yibo had promised to get Zhan out of detention but he honestly had no idea what to do. He intended to go back home but he would just end up worried till morning. He had called and spoken to everyone he could. He was reluctant to speak to Haikuan’s men because he knew how Haikuan felt about Zhan. He decided to get through to Zhan’s mother. On his way, he stopped by a bar along the road, being drunk was a good excuse to call Zhan’s mother. 

He was on his second glass of alcohol when someone sat opposite him. The person was quietly observing Yibo for a while. “Why does seeing you look like you just got dumped give me so much joy?”, he scoffed, holding a glass of gold colored drink.

Yibo raised his head and his eyes met with Xu WeiZhou’s mocking glance. Yibo ignored him and continued drinking.

“Ah Yibo, are you going to ignore me like that? Tell me, did someone dump you like you dumped me? Doesn’t feel so good does it?”

Yibo continued to ignore him but WeiZhou seemed determined to get Yibo angry. He leaned closer and continued. “Did you catch him fucking someone else? Oh, I’m sure it’s the other way round. He caught you fucking someone and dumped you”. Yibo raised his head to meet a sinister smile on WeiZhou’s face, his expression irked Yibo that he didn’t know when he flung the glass he was holding toward this person that was hell bent on pissing him off.

Xu WeiZhou had finally found his opportunity to vent. Yibo had ended their relationship without an explanation. Though WeiZhou was fine, he still felt like teaching Yibo a lesson. Even if he beat him to a pulp, it would be a case of two drunk people fighting. He grabbed Yibo by the collar and pulled him up then he threw him towards a random table. Yibo fell with a thud, shattering the glasses on the table, which lost one of its legs under the force of Yibo’s weight. 

Yibo was not usually this helpless but he was physically and mentally exhausted. He only cared about his Zhan right now, not paying any attention to his own health and well-being. He lay on the table without moving an inch, staring at the ceiling. The dim lights seem to send out glares that stabbed straight into his eyeballs. He tried to get up when he felt his body suddenly lifted up. He stood upright, face to face with WeiZhou, his one-time sweetheart.

WeiZhou was still as handsome as always. His red lips and perfectly sculptured face were Yibo’s weaknesses but now, they looked rather ordinary compared to his husband’s.

WeiZhou put a finger across his own lips, asking Yibo to be quiet. ‘This person has gone nuts’ Yibo thought to himself but did as he was told. WeiZhou came close to him, reached towards his collar and brought out a tiny black object no bigger than half the size of a bean seed. He smiled and threw the item in a glass of alcoholic drink. He took Yibo’s hand. Yibo tried to withdraw but the look on WeiZhou’s face was rather serious. WeiZhou wrote the words ‘you are being bugged, don’t say anything’ on Yibo’s palm and Yibo suddenly realized what that black object was.

Yibo felt his anger surge through his body. Who bugged him and why was he bugged. He looked at WeiZhou, who seemed to have had enough fun, with a helpless expression. WeiZhou gestured for him to follow him. He followed WeiZhou to an empty lounge. From the inside one could see outside but those on the outside could not see inside. WeiZhou gave him a pat down, paying special attention to his crotch area. He removed four similar devices from Yibo’s body, throwing them in a glass of liquid.

“Where is your phone?”, WeiZhou asked.

“I left it in my car”, was Yibo’s reply.

“Good. If someone could bug you so easily, I'm sure your phone, car or even your house would have similar devices”. WeiZhou sat on a chair, gesturing for Yibo to sit.

“Why would someone want to bug me?”

“I should be asking you that, exactly how many hearts did you break before getting married”, WeiZhou pointed to the ring on Yibo’s finger.

“Thank you for your assistance WeiZhou, I would be leaving now”, Yibo turned to leave.

“I can help you find out who did it. You have to give me a lead though. Why would someone want to listen to your conversations?”

Yibo stopped in his tracks. He knew WeiZhou back in college and they dated for some time. After they separated, he had not heard from him. “Help me? Are you a cop?”

“Even better, I'm an independent detective”, he handed Yibo his card.

“Good thing I ran into you then. Is this place safe to talk?”, Yibo sat back down and continued after WeiZhou nodded to him. “My husband is being accused of leaking company’s secret. Everything points to him being guilty. I'm almost at my wits end. Can you help?”  
“Hmm, I can try but you would have to tell me more. I worked for your father two years ago, I have an idea of the seriousness of this matter. What exactly is he being accused of?”

Yibo and WeiZhou talked for a long time. WeiZhou took a mental note of everything he was told. He asked Yibo not to pay attention to any listening devices in his house or office just yet so as not to alert whoever planted them that they were on his tail. He decided to investigate those who worked closely with Yibo first.

“We only have 5 days WeiZhou, can we make it before then?”

“5 days? Then why are we still sitting here? Let’s get to work. By the way, let’s talk about my fees”. WeiZhou called a ridiculous amount and almost slapped himself when Yibo did not try to beat it down. He should have charged more after all, Yibo owed him for breaking his heart.


	12. Chapter 12

As expected, there were listening devices in Yibo’s car and home when they searched. That night, WeiZhou was able to find a total of 13 devices, 6 of which had run out of battery. WeiZhou and Yibo tried to sound casual while WeiZhou searched and pin pointed their locations. He came across Zhan’s picture in their bedroom.

“Your husband, he’s handsome”, WeiZhou spoke sincerely. At those words, Yibo who had barely managed to keep it together, broke down in tears. WeiZhou wondered what he had said wrong. To quickly avoid the awkward situation, he decided to carry out a search in Yibo’s office that same night.

As expected, there were even more listening devices there. One thing baffled WeiZhou though. There were none around Yu Bin’s work area, which was even easier to access than Yibo’s office.

“Your assistant, give me his details. I want to run a check on him. I’d also run one on your brother, mother and husband just to be sure”, Yibo agreed.

“Also, I would need unrestricted access to this place. I would work at night. I will come with my partner tomorrow, the CCTV cameras will be turned off for about 10 to 20 minutes”. Yibo agreed without hesitation. He just wanted to clear Zhan’s name.

“Yibo, go home and get some rest. I’d reach you in 3days with a report of my findings”. They both parted ways outside the company building. It was almost 3am. Yibo wanted to spend the night with Zhan but due to protocol, he was unable to gain access to the facility Zhan was being held at that time.

Yibo woke up as early as 7am the next day. He got ready for work but there was nothing he could do in the office. He decided to pay his Zhan a visit. Zhan had spent 5days away from home. Yibo was beginning to feel anxious, he wondered how Zhan, who was locked up was feeling. When he got to the door of Zhan’s room, he heard his mother’s voice.

“I really let my guards down around you Zhan, you look so innocent but you're a devil’s incarnate. Why not return the stolen items? Save my husband. Yibo would not let us harm you. I promise to let everything go as long as you return those items…or tell us where to find them”.

He heard Zhan reply, “I’m really bothered that instead of doing a proper investigation, your family is so bent on pining this whole thing on me and making me pay for crimes I did not commit. You should be spending your time chasing after the real culprit. Let me ask you, is there someone who keeps redirecting you to me? Check properly. If there is, you're probably close to the truth and the person is trying to lead you astray”. Zhan’s aim was to challenge them to think, maybe their findings would lead them to Yu Bin.

“Ha-ha, Zhan, you really are heartless. You look like an angel but your heart is as hard as a rock. No wonder your father did not think twice before cutting you off. He would rather be childless than have a monster like you”

“Mum, I think you’ve had enough fun. Please leave”, Yibo walked in, ending their painful conversation. Zhan was relieved to see Yibo and he gave him a tender smile. This caused Yibo’s heart to skip a beat. He wanted to hold him, pin him down and do all sorts of things to him. Zhan was looking frail, he had lost a considerable amount of weight. Upon asking, Yibo found out Zhan had only eaten twice since his detention. He had refused almost every meal sent to him and only took tea and water. Yibo blamed himself for not supervising Zhan’s meals. He wanted to take him home badly but he knew he could not. He and Haikuan had an equal say and his mother took Haikuan’s side on this issue.

He begged and coaxed Zhan to eat, only managing to convince him when he said there was some progress on the investigation. He handed Zhan a note containing all he wanted to say; about the independent investigator, the bugs and the progress of the investigation. He knew Zhan’s room was under surveillance and he could only limit the things he said out loud.

“The thing I told you, did you look into it?”, Zhan asked enthusiastically. 

“Yes, I did. I'm sure we won’t find anything but we’re leaving no stones unturned”, Yibo patted his back as he spoke. “What would you like to eat?”

With this piece of information, Zhan was able to relax. “Noodles, prepared by you. You make the best noodles you know. I want a big bowl of it and a bottle of soda water”, Zhan placed his head on Yibo’s shoulder as he made his request. Yibo was more than happy to indulge him. A few minutes later, the meal was ready.

“Yibo, is there a reason Yu Bin has not come to see me since I was taken away?”

“……"


	13. Chapter 13

Xu WeiZhou turned out to be very efficient. Two days later he contacted Yibo and asked them to meet at a gymnasium.

“I don’t work out, why did you want us to meet here?”, Yibo was wearing a pair of black trousers and a pink long-sleeved shirt. He didn’t pay any attention to his looks but WeiZhou still thought he looked handsome. He asked to meet by the indoor pool where WeiZhou usually worked out. 

WeiZhou was swimming when Yibo arrived. Upon sighting Yibo, he got out of the pool. He was wearing only a pair of swimming pants, making no effort to conceal the bulge displayed by his outfit in front of him. Yibo looked him up and down, stopping briefly at his crotch, “Hmm, I see you grew everywhere except there”.

“Ha-ha, Yibo…”, WeiZhou, slightly annoyed, moved closer to him, intending to give him a pat down. Instead, using his feet, he kicked the fully dressed Yibo into the pool.

‘Splash…’, “Ha WeiZhou, you just can’t take a joke, can you?”, Yibo tried to get out of the pool but he saw WeiZhou’s intent to keep him in there. He gave up on the idea and stood in place waiting for the other man to speak.

“Those devices are tiny, easy to conceal and extremely cheap. Their downside, they only last a few days; 3 days give or take after which they run out of power. Another thing is they cannot withstand the slightest amount of liquid. Even sweating excessively can ruin them”, WeiZhou explained as he patted his body dry. “The person who did this is no professional, just someone with ambition and someone who has easy access to you”. He put on a shirt and continued talking.

“I ran a check, this person didn’t even cover his tracks. Like I said, he is no professional. Maybe he has a grudge against your family and your husband had to take the fall”. WeiZhou turned around and took off his wet swimming pants, exposing his bare butt to Yibo without any warning.

Yibo was stunned and quickly turned around.

“Ha-ha, why are you turning around, you’ve seen this before haven’t you. Remember you used to …”

“WeiZhou, focus! You were telling me something important, we don’t have a lot of time”.

“Hmm, I see, your husband made an honest man out of you yeah? I’d like to meet him sometime. Anyway, I have solid lead on the location of the missing vehicle, I need more money to retrieve it. My men are already on alert, waiting for my go ahead. You're going to have to pay me double. You owe me for dumping me so don’t complain. Given your status, I’m being lenient but I understand you’re aggrieved. You father and husband are…anyway, I would be in your office tomorrow once it is confirmed that we are able to secure the vehicle”.

This was good news to Yibo. He didn’t know how to express the joy he felt at the moment, tears started flowing down his face.

“You really love that vehicle, don’t you? See how its making you cry. By the way, do you intend to remain in that pool for the rest of the day? We have work to do you know. I personally don’t want your husband dead, he’s too handsome and I can’t bear to not have him in the world”, WeiZhou had successfully avoided another awkward situation.

“Can you stop drooling over my husband for a bit?”, they both looked at each other and laughed. Yibo got out of the pool and WeiZhou handed him a clean towel.

“WeiZhou, thank you. And about us, I’m sorry I hurt you”.

“Sorry? Nah, I’m glad you dumped me. I got to meet a nice man you know, Zhan’s looks don’t even come close to his”, WeiZhou let out a fond smile.

Yibo found it hard to believe that Zhan could not come close to someone in looks but he did not want to argue with the person who could help him save Zhan and his father. He nodded in acknowledgement.

The rest of the day was uneventful. Yibo went to see Zhan who asked him to leave several times. Yibo refused to leave, instead he cuddled with Zhan until late in the evening.

……

Yibo had not heard from WeiZhou since they parted was nervous. He got to the office later than usual and was surprised to find WeiZhou and Haikuan waiting for him. 

“Yibo what is going on? Who is he?”, Haikuan was the first to speak. He was flustered when WeiZhou barged into his office, meeting him and Yu Bin in a very compromising position. He wondered how WeiZhou got access to the company that early in the day.

Haikuan and Yu Bin had been dating for more than a year and they often met up in secret. Since the issue with the missing weapons, Haikuan and Yu Bin who hardly got any privacy quickly realized that the office was the most private place they could find without giving others room for suspicions.

“He is a friend of mine, helping me investigate…where is Yu Bin? He should be here by now”.

Yu Bin walked in, holding a cup of coffee. He had gone out to get some coffee. Yibo’s mother followed not long after.

“Ahem…since everyone is here, let me introduce myself. My name is Xu WeiZhou, I’m an independent investigator. Yibo contracted me to find the missing package. Since there is no time to waste, why don’t we go straight to the point”. WeiZhou had the undivided attention of everyone, no one had noticed Yu Bin’s ugly expressions.

He handed a device to Yibo and spoke, “I simply put listening devices in some offices and that was all I did. I told you the perpetrator was not skilled. He probably carried this out all on his own”. He turned to face Yu Bin as he spoke and Haikuan quickly understood what he meant. He had the urge to defend Yu Bin but WeiZhou pointed to the device on Yibo’s hands.

Understanding his gesture, Yibo looked at it and found a button. He pressed it and Yu Bin’s voice was loud and clear. Yu Bin was asking someone if they had anyone on their tails. He assured them that he would take the parcel off their hands in a little more than a week. He just wanted to tie up loose ends.

WeiZhou explained how he listened in on Yu Bin’s conversations, producing evidence as he spoke. The evidence was over whelming. While Yibo quickly arranged for Zhan’s release, Haikuan simply sat unmoving, staring at Yu Bin who did not look the slightest bit remorseful.

“Do you have anything to say Yu Bin?”, Wang Zi, who was shocked to her very core asked. 

“You’ve heard it all. What else do you expect? Me to deny?”

“Yu Bin, why?”, Haikuan looked like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. He could not understand why or how Yu Bin could pull this off.

“Why? Don’t you get it yet? It’s all because of Yibo”.

“…”

“If only…if only he had dated me instead. I have been in love with Yibo since I first saw him but he decided to be with Zhan instead. I was only trying to get Zhan out of the way”.


	14. Chapter 14

Haikuan could not believe what he just heard. Yu Bin liked Yibo? How can Yu Bin, his own boyfriend be in love with his brother.

“You like Yibo? What nonsense are you saying? We’ve been together for several months. If you liked my brother, why did you agree to date me? Why are you with me?”, Haikuan was still unable to accept what he was being told. He was hoping to get an explanation for this behavior. Was Yu Bin trying one of his silly tricks to cover for Zhan again? That did not seem possible. The phone conversation, was Yu Bin referring to something else? No, Yu Bin clearly admitted it…

“Yu Bin, tell me the truth, did Zhan put you up to this?”, Haikuan simply could not accept what he was hearing. Yu Bin had always been decent, soft-spoken and loyal. Zhan was the most important person to him. How could he do this to Zhan? Haikuan suddenly realized…all this while, Yu bin had been the one exposing Zhan, giving him ideas to tell his mother. It was like he was Yu Bin’s….puppet!

“Why are you determined to bring my husband down? The truth is right in front you. Funny, you and Yu Bin have been dating? How come no one knew?”, Yibo was also trying to process much of the information he was flooded with.

“Yu Bin said he was not ready to make our relationship known just yet. He feared it would affect his job and his relationship with Zhan…”

“Ha-ha, Haikuan, you believed all that trash I spoke? You keep blabbing about how weak Yibo is all because of Zhan. Yibo may be ‘weak’, but he is not stupid. You on the other hand, I can’t even begin to describe the height of your stupidity”.

Yu Bin’s sudden outburst hocked everybody to their core. The only person who found this amusing was WeiZhou. He watched with utmost curiosity, waiting for this altercation to be over so he could go home to his boyfriend. He had earned enough to last him several months.

“Since we’ve come to this point, there is no need hiding it anymore. I don’t like you Haikuan. I needed someone to fund my little experiment. You gave me access to your money but never cared to find out what I used them for. Besides, all that trash I said about Zhan being a spy for Xiao cooperation, you fell for them too easily. Perhaps, you already hated him and that clouded your judgement. Well, everything I said was a lie except the fact that he still speaks to his mother. She contacts him and that’s it. They don’t discuss anything related to business”.

Yu Bin sat down casually and continued, “As for your father, I never intended to harm him. You told me yourself, Zhan was going to take the fall. I intended to return the items immediately Zhan died and then break up with you for letting my best friend die. Yes, I know how everything works. I know one person had to pay with their life. I only wanted Zhan gone. Every other damage can be termed collateral damage”.

“As for you Wang Zi, you were a hard nut to crack. I tried hard to tarnish Zhan’s image but you were not buying my lies so easily. At a time, you started to suspect me. Who knew the seed I already planted would begin to manifest the moment your husband was taken. Nobody except Yibo carried out a proper investigation”.

“Yibo… you were careless to trust me completely. I gradually planted a seed of doubt against you in Zhan’s heart, that was why he didn’t find it hard to suspect you of cheating with your business partner. You see, I have the advantage of knowing Zhan much more than you do. Zhan has always been kind and understanding but occasionally, he snaps when he is pushed to the wall. Before you, the only people he ever snapped at were his father and a student in the school we attended. Zhan isn’t one to be impulsive but with sufficient stimulus, he would act so badly and make all the wrong decisions only to end up regretting them. He loves you so much that it didn’t take too much for me to get him there. Just a few subtle hints and he already lost it. Zhan Zhan, so easily manipulated by those he lets come close to him…”

Yibo could not take it anymore, he rushed towards Yu Bin and punched him in the face.

“Are you quite done yet? Messing with everyone? Do you think you can get away with it? I would make sure you never see the light of day ag…”

“Oh shut up”, Yu Bin stopped him. “What’s so special about you anyway? I like you but I know when it’s over. I stand no chance as it is. I’m prepared. Yes, I will walk away from this. I still have the weapons in hiding. You will provide a certain amount of money, I will let you know how much in a few days. After you do that, I’d tell you the location of the goods. No, this is not negotiable except you want your father dead. No need to torture me, I won’t spill. In fact, kill me if you want. I would die with this information”. YuBin gave a deafening laugh. This investigator called him a rookie? His plan was perfect from the start and he left himself a way out.

“BAC lane, underground warehouse, JIN city…”, WeiZhou finally got a chance to shine. He had found out everything but he didn’t speak immediately. He called out the address of the place where the package, including the truck was hidden. “Just say the word and my people will go retrieve it”.

Yibo nodded to WeiZhou who sent a message and walked out. He had had enough drama to last him a few weeks. Yu Bin finally knew how it felt to be utterly defeated. He ended up giving himself no way out. He had severed his connection with Haikuan who could have been a little bit merciful and he did so in the most embarrassing way. He knew he was done for and he knew Haikuan was brutal when he wanted to be. He looked towards Wang Zi who looked petrified, unmoving like she was in a trance.

“Haikuan, I will get some men to take Yu Bin into custody. Let me…”.

“No need Yibo”, Haikuan said in a cold voice. “I will deal with him myself”. The savage look on Haikuan’s face made Yibo shiver in fear for Yu Bin.

Yibo did not care for all this at the moment. He had only one thing in mind, Xiao Zhan.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 18+  
> Contains explicit content

Zhan sat in the bath tub, he toyed with the bubbles subconsciously. His mind was still in a fuss. He had his suspicions about Yu Bin but deep down, he hoped he was wrong.

Zhan has been out of detention since morning. It was already evening and Yibo had not left his side. Yibo took him straight home and left the rest of the cleaning up to Haikuan and WeiZhou. Zhan had managed to eat a little bit, his heart was shattered by Yu Bin. He inquired about Yu Bin’s fate and Yibo said it was up to Haikuan to decide.

Wang Zi had come visiting but the couple did not even answer the door when she knocked. They had been apart for days and their needed their privacy. They had both been through a lot. Yibo sat close to Zhan as he took a bath, occasionally helping him clean up and scrub his back. There was no reaction from Zhan when he did all of that. He tried to initiate a conversation but he soon discovered that Zhan was simply not paying attention. Zhan probably needed time.

“Zhan, baby, let’s go somewhere”. It seems like he finally got Zhan’s attention.

“Oh? Where do you have in mind?”, Zhan replied seemingly interested in where this conversation was headed.

“Let it be a surprise. It’s just a place where we can be alone for a few days. Just you, me and the beach. You always liked going to the beach”. Zhan remembered the last time he was at the beach. He and Yibo held hands and walked along the beach, talking about how they wanted their future to be. They sat, admiring the sunset together. Zhan noticed Yibo was a little shaky. He felt the cool breeze made him cold. He was wearing only a shirt and trouser, there was no extra layer to give to Yibo. He knew Yibo was here, at the beach because of him so he pretended to be tired.

“I’m a bit sleepy, let’s go back inside”, he tried to pull Yibo up and something fell out of Yibo’s pocket. Zhan bent to pick it up and found it was a ring. Yibo had wanted to propose to him but he was afraid to receive a negative feedback.

“I…I…I don’t know how to say this Zhan. I’ve carried that..that ring about for weeks. I wanted to propose every time but no time seemed p…perfect enough”, Yibo could barely speak as he stammered all through.  
“Please, Zhan…I promise to be good to you, I…promise to make you happy, I know it will be hard but…”, Zhan sealed his lips with a kiss. They both knew what Yibo wanted to ask and the answer to that question.

That was the happiest day of Zhan’s life. After then, he had to battle with his family. He got disowned by his father after he eloped to get married. Zhan smiled as he thought of that day. He and Yibo planned to break away from the kind of business their families are into. It was too dangerous and Zhan wanted a carefree life. Yibo promised to do just that but it seemed Yibo was getting more and more entwined with the family business. He felt it was unfair to give him an ultimatum so he decided to build a life for the both of them and when the time was right, he could show Yibo the preparations he had made so he started investing and setting up small businesses in other countries. Business was thriving.

He looked at Yibo, who kept waiting for his answer. It seemed like Zhan had become distracted again but he was ready to take things slowly. The trauma of the past few days was not something one could get over in a few hours.

“Yibo, when do you plan to leave this all behind?”, Zhan asked. 

“Sincerely, I want to but I have a lot of things to take care of before I do. Can you give me some time?”.

This was the same response Zhan had heard since they got married. He shook his head.

“Yibo, I can’t wait anymore. I may have to go ahead of you”, his voice was almost inaudible. Yibo could hear him, he did not feel good about it but he decided to take things one day at a time.

……

Zhan walked around the house he had lived in with Yibo for the past three years. This house was a gift from Yibo’s parents. It had a total of four bedrooms but they both shared the master bedroom. They both preferred to stay cramped in one room, sharing everything. The living room was a place they sometimes relaxed, usually cramping themselves in one couch. Even when they had a fight, it was hard to stay away from each other.

Zhan had the impulse to clean. He picked up a rag and started wiping down the shelves. There was a little dust accumulated on them. He cleaned as much as he could, not stopping till he felt Yibo’s hands around his waist.

“Baby, it’s okay. Let’s go to bed. You need to rest”, Yibo spoke right next to his ears and Zhan could feel Yibo’s breath. Zhan turned around in Yibo’s arms and kissed him on the lips. Yibo wanted this so badly but he had managed to keep his hands to himself, just to give Zhan some time to get better. Zhan sucked on his lower lips, biting it slightly. His hands roamed under Yibo’s shirt and made contact with his bare skin, their lips not separating even for one moment.

Zhan broke off the kiss, leaving Yibo slightly disappointed and moved to the room pulling Yibo with him. Zhan took off Yibo’s shirt and struggled to take off his trousers. He had done this effortlessly before but it felt a bit difficult this time. Yibo gave him a hand and soon he was stark naked. He took off his own clothes and climbed on the bed leaving Yibo standing and watching.

“Why are you standing there? come join me”, he patted the bed and Yibo lay next to him, wanting to touch him but he felt Zhan was a bit too fragile at the moment. “Are you afraid? What happened to the person who I used to run away from at times like this?”.

They both laughed, Yibo pulled Zhan into a hug and drew the blanket over them. “I know you're tired, let’s just sleep”.

Yibo intended to do just that, ignoring his throbbing erection but Zhan had other plans. He slipped under the blanket and down to Yibo’s member. He held it with one hand and allowed the other roam all over Yibo’s body. He could feel Yibo’s member throbbing in his hands. He let go of it and straddled Yibo, pulling the blanket over their heads. He kissed Yibo’s neck, sucking it lightly, intentionally leaving his mark there. The fluctuation in Yibo’s breath could tell him Yibo liked it, it was one of his sensitive spots. He flicked his tongue over that spot, licking and sucking. He sucked all over Yibo’s neck and chest, leaving his mark everywhere. He brought his lips close to Yibo’s nipples, licking around but avoiding it on purpose. Yibo moved his body, intending to have his nipples make contact with Zhan’s lips. When Zhan was satisfied with his teasing, Yibo suddenly felt the warmth envelop his nipples. He let out a moan. Zhan sucked his nipples, licking and sucking. By the time he let it go, it was already red and slightly swollen. Zhan moved to the other nipple and teased.

Yibo flipped Zhan around, switching their positions. Before he could do anything, Zhan switched them back, sending Yibo underneath him.

“Be a good boy and I’d suck you real good, okay?”, Zhan coaxed Yibo with an alluring voice. Yibo could only nod his head. He liked to take control in bed and Zhan liked to be submissive in bed but tonight was different. As much as he liked it, he hoped this was not the sign of something bad to come.

Zhan held Yibo’s member in his hand and noticed there was a sticky liquid extending from the tip of Yibo’s penis to underneath his belly button. He smiled and wrapped his mouth around Yibo’s member. He sucked it slightly and bobbed his head repeatedly. He could taste Yibo’s cum and he wanted more. He sucked faster and faster, he tightened his cheeks around it. Yibo, unlike Zhan, was not one to moan loudly in bed but that night was different. The more Yibo tried to suppress his moans, the more he let out strange sounds, but these sounds motivated Zhan to go faster.

“Baby…baby please wait…let me do it to you too”, Yibo tried to reach out to Zhan but Zhan sucked him so hard, the mixture of pleasure and pain almost caused him to cum. He cautioned himself and kept quiet, letting Zhan do what he wanted.

Zhan reached out and got a tube of lubricant just beside the bed, not taking his mouth completely off Yibo’s dick. He applied some on his index finger and on Yibo’s hole. With a little bit of resistance, he pushed his finger in Yibo’s hole.

Yibo felt slightly uncomfortable. He had never had anything, not even a finger up his hole. He was tense but he was willing to do anything for Zhan. They had talked about this a few times and Yibo was ready, he just needed Zhan to be ready as well. Seems the time had come.

Zhan probed around in Yibo’s hole, occasionally moving his fingers in and out. Zhan was determined to find that special spot. He took Yibo’s dick out of his mouth and placed Yibo’s legs over his shoulders. He moved his finger up and down, left and right, searching for that spot. He pushed his finger as deep as he could and heard Yibo moan slightly. He removed his finger, added more lube and inserted his middle finger along with his index finger this time. It was a bit more difficult to go in and this time Yibo felt a bit of pain.

“Yibo, relax…”, he felt Yibo’s insides relax a little and he continued to move.

“Does it hurt?”, he asked because he couldn’t quite see the expression on Yibo’s face.

“No, it just feels a little… strange”.

“It would hurt a little later when I put my dick in, do you think you are ready for it?”

So, Zhan was planning to go all the way, well he was ready. He nodded his head in response.

Zhan continued to move in and out. He took Yibo’s penis back in his mouth and stimulated him from both ends. Yibo soon adapted to the strange feeling and enjoyed the double attack. He had missed Zhan so much, he wished this would not end. Alas, he couldn’t hold on any longer and was conquered by the stimulation. He released his cum into Zhan’s mouth.

“Baby, spit it out, don’t swallow it”.

Zhan flipped Yibo around, placing him on his belly. He added a third finger and continued to open him up. Yibo seemed more relaxed than he was previously. Zhan's fingers went in and out with a little difficulty at first then Yibo’s insides loosened up a little more to accommodate the intruders. Zhan soon added a fourth finger. Yibo was in pain now, but it was not unbearable, it was a kind of enjoyable pain. He moaned, partly due to the pleasure and partly due to the pain. Zhan placed his lips on Yibo’s perfectly shaped ass. He licked it lightly, tracing lines all over it in no particular pattern. This gave Yibo a kind of tickling sensation. He jerked uncontrollably and that movement sent Zhan’s fingers deeper. Yibo was already hard again. 

“Yibo, can I go in now?”, Zhan asked as he placed kisses all over Yibo’s back, leaving red marks everywhere.

Yibo nodded. Truth is he was a bit afraid of the pain but he had done this to Zhan countless times. Zhan’s first few times were a bit painful too but he never rejected Yibo. Yibo was more than willing to have Zhan inside him.

Zhan placed a pillow under Yibo’s waist, perking his ass up. He added some lubricant to his penis as well as Yibo’s entrance. He positioned his dick at the entrance and pushed slightly. The tip entered with significant ease. The feeling of Yibo’s insides clinging tightly around his penis nearly made him cum. He had just started and couldn’t afford to cum now. He stopped for a while to get himself under control, also to allow Yibo relax and take him in gradually. He bent over and kissed Yibo’s neck.

“Yibo, I'm sorry for putting you through the stress of the past few days. If I had just waited, things would not have turned out the way they did”. Zhan had been feeling guilty since he returned.

“Baby, there’s no need…ahhh…Zhan pushed in a little more. Yibo’s tiny shriek seemed to make him even harder. Yibo could swear he felt Zhan’s size increase a bit inside of him. Did this sort of thing turn him on?

“I’m sorry Yibo, did I hurt you?”

“No, I was just surprised. No pain at all, just go ahead and…ahhh…”, Zhan pushed in a bit more. He seemed to enjoy cutting Yibo’s words. He was not completely in yet, he waited for a bit of time for Yibo to adjust to him again.. He suddenly pulled out, applied more lube and pushed himself in, this time he was completely in.

Yibo felt the notorious pain he always heard about. He grabbed the pillow tightly, burying his face in it to hide his expression. Zhan bent over to kiss Yibo all over his back and neck. He turned his face around and took his tongue in his mouth. He sucked it lightly as he started to move. Yibo moans, due to the mixture of pleasure and pain went right to Zhan’s mouth. Zhan could tell that he was reaching that special place. Yibo’s insides held him tight and released him consecutively. Yibo’s moans were getting louder and louder, this made Zhan go a bit crazy. He started to move faster. He grabbed Yibo’s ass so tightly, leaving his finger marks on them.

He pulled out, flipped Yibo over and entered him from the front. He sucked Yibo’s nipples as he rammed into him. Zhan was close to his climax but he was not satisfied. He wanted more. He wanted to prolong this for as long as he could. He suddenly pulled out, raised Yibo’s legs and placed them on his shoulders. He stroked Yibo’s dick while watching his hole twitch several times. With the scene before him, he couldn’t resist entering. With one hard thrust, he pushed his whole length into Yibo. Yibo’s gasp finally sent him over the edge. He could feel Yibo’s insides squeezing him tightly, Yibo’s muscles tensed up and he shot his cum all the way to Zhan’s face while Zhan shot his deep inside Yibo. 

Zhan bent over to kiss Yibo and soon, Yibo could feel him getting harder inside him. That night, Zhan did Yibo from different positions, Yibo came so many times that he stopped releasing anything. He was so tired that he slept off. Zhan did not stop, he could not stop. He kept going, occasionally taking short rests and continuing right after. He had never done this, he had no idea it felt so good. He had to do this more often…more often. At the thought of ‘more often’, he closed his eyes and allowed his tears to fall freely.

“Yibo, I love you so much. Please forgive me if I hurt you in the future. I believe we would find our way back to each other”, he whispered into the ears of his sleeping husband.


	16. Chapter 16

When Yibo woke up the next day it was almost noon. Zhan was not in bed. He went to bathroom, trying to ignore the pain in his behind. He passed in front of a mirror while walking, trying to keep his legs apart. He suddenly stopped and took two steps back, stopping in front of the mirror. He smiled as he admired the design Zhan left all over his body. Talking about Zhan, where was he?

Yibo took a bath, he did not plan to step out of the house for a few days. He planned to be irresponsible and skip a few days of work. When he got out of the bathroom, he heard his phone ring, it was his mother asking him to come over with Zhan, his father was back home and he wanted to have lunch with everyone.

Yibo went into the living room, still no sign of Zhan, his first instinct was to call Yu Bin, then he remembered, Yu Bin was not accessible at the moment. Even if Zhan wanted to see him, it wouldn’t be happening soon. Yibo strolled around the house looking for Zhan and still there was no sign of him. He called his phone but it was out of service. Zhan had not turned his phone on since he returned, he probably still hadn’t. Yibo decided to dress up while he waited for Zhan. His heart, for some reason, was beating erratically, his palms were sweating and he kept knocking things over. Where the hell was Zhan?

He called Haikuan, he had not seen Zhan for a long time. Haikuan did not have the face present himself before Zhan. The words ‘Yibo, I can’t wait anymore. I may have to go ahead of you’ resounded in his ears. Yibo suddenly felt a bit cold. He rushed in to grab his car keys then noticed a note lying on the table, held in place by the keys.

Wondering what might be written, he felt it was best not to open the note. He felt Zhan went out and would be back soon. Zhan’s car was parked outside. Everything was intact. Even his clothes had not been touched. If Zhan wanted to leave, he would at least go with a few clothes, right?

Yibo tried to get a hold of himself and finally opened the note an hour later.  
‘I'm sorry Yibo, I'm sorry I hurt you again. There is a lot I need to do. Don’t look for me, you won’t find me’.

Yibo laughed, “I won’t find you? Zhan, you seem to underestimate me. You just wait for me. I’d find you and I’d bring you back…”. Yibo, who for some reason found himself talking to a piece of paper suddenly realized, even if he found Zhan, Zhan may not be willing to come back. He made a promise to Zhan all those years ago. Zhan had gotten tired of waiting so he decided to go ahead. Does this mean they still have a chance if he left everything behind? Haikuan…Yes! Haikuan and his mother are responsible for this. Zhan had always been patient. He wouldn’t just leave. He had to do something, anything.

Yibo felt it made no sense sitting, waiting for Zhan. Why would he wait anymore? Zhan said he wasn’t coming back. He had to find Zhan before he went too far. He drove to his parent’s house.

“Yibo, you're a bit early. Your father is inside. He has a runny stomach. Did you come alone? I know Zhan would not like to come here…Ah Yibo, we really wronged Zhan. I wanted to apologise to him”, Wang Zi spoke then she noticed something wrong.

“Yibo, what is the matter?”, she left where she was sitting and walked towards Yibo, she tried to touch him but he moved backwards, evading her. Right at this moment, Haikuan walked in, his eyes met Yibo’s and he subconsciously looked around for Zhan.

“No need looking for him, he’s gone”, Yibo’s face carried a hostile look. “I guess you’re both happy right? Isn’t this what you wanted? Why not turn this lunch into a feast. After treating him like a common criminal, not even giving me some face, what were you expecting?”

Yibo was talking on top of his voice. Wang Han who was in his study heard the noise and came out. He had since been filled in on the whole situation. Apart from Yibo, he was the only one who had not offended Zhan directly. He felt he could placate Zhan a bit. The Wang family were strong but they knew better than to mess with the Xiao family. Xiao Zhang may have disowned Xiao Zhan, but he was still his son after all. 

“There is no need assigning blames right now, why not look for a way forward? Yibo, come here. I’ve heard all that happened while I was away. I also want to hear from you in case they missed out something. Also, where did Zhan go? Tell me everything, I would help you find him”, Wang Han who had exited his study tried to calm Yibo who looked calm on the surface but it was obvious he was just a step away from making a bad decision.

Yibo feelings were conflicted. While he was happy to see his father safe and sound, he felt he did so at the expense of his husband. 

“Father… I’m happy to see you…”

“Yibo, I know you’re happy to see me but let’s talk about Zhan first without him here, the family is incomplete. Where did he go?”

“I don’t know, he left a note asking me not to look for him. I wouldn’t find him”.

“You have to look for him, you’re his husband. As long as you both are not divorced, you have every right to look for him”, Haikuan tried to give his own suggestion but Yibo gave him a look that said ‘I didn’t ask for your opinion’.

“Haikuan is right”, Wang Han continued. “You should look for him, at least have an idea of where he is. Zhan…is a very important member of this family. He is legally married to you. for him to leave just like that, there must be something we can do. Did you both have a fight?”.

There was no way Yibo at that moment was willing to accept that Zhan left because he was tired of waiting. He knew Zhan would have waited a little longer if not for the incident. He blamed his mother and brother for pushing Zhan away. If only they treated him better. Being surrounded by people who do not like you, no one feels safe in that sort of situation.

After listening to everyone discuss how to go about finding Zhan, Yibo felt it was better for them to leave it to him. He wanted them to have no say in anything that concerned Zhan from then onwards. He would look for Zhan by himself and bring him back…or follow him wherever he wanted to go.

“Leave it to me. I’d find Zhan myself. You all have done more than enough. Just leave the rest to me”, by the time Yibo left, it was already evening and everyone had forgotten about lunch.

…….

“He left since yesterday, why are you just telling me this. Do you know how far he could have gone by now?”, WeiZhou, who had been looking forward to meeting Zhan, scolded Yibo when Yibo called him to help find Zhan. Yibo had gone everywhere Zhan could possibly go. He even asked Yu Bin who was still detained under Haikuan’s instructions. He could not find Zhan. Out of desperation, he put a call across to Zhan’s mother who threw a tantrum when she heard her son was missing. Zhan’s father pretended not to care when his wife was urging him to do something but he already put plans in place to find him. As long as he was safe, he would not interfere in his life. Besides, he was the one who asked Zhan to choose between him and Yibo. That unfilial son didn’t even bat an eyelash when he picked Yibo.

“Please help me find him. Just tell me what you need and I’d give it to you”.

“Okay, I’d contact you if anything comes up”, WeiZhou ended the call and sent an SMS to a few people. By the time he was done, his boyfriend who he was in the middle of doing something with had fallen asleep.

“Damn you Yibo, why does your husband leaving you have to ruin my sex life?”

WeiZhou, though an independent investigator, had a lot of connections within the country. In a few hours, he was able to get a lead on Zhan’s location. His initial thought was that he went to his parents. He tried to spy on them but their security level was too tight, he got nothing. A colleague was able to identify Zhan just as he was about to get on a plane. Nothing could be done as Zhan had already gone past airport security. The flight was headed to another country, Migu. WeiZhou could do nothing more. As much as he had a lot of connections, he had very little in the country Zhan was headed. 

Because of Yu Bin, Yibo heard Zhan had some investments in that country. Of course, Zhan had gone to start a new life in a place where he had something to fall back on. Why didn’t he think of that before? Yibo at least had a place to begin his search. The problem was the size of this country. Unlike XYZ, their home country which was divided into four regions, this country had a total of 55 states. He had no idea where to begin his search from.   
After Zhan left XYZ, they lost his trail and was not as easy to locate him anymore. WeiZhou suggested other investigators who had some connection there but none was able to find anything on him. It was a large country after all. Zhan seemed to have completely disappeared from the face of the planet. Yibo knew he couldn’t sit back and do nothing. 2 weeks later, he picked up a few personal belongings and boarded a plane to Migu.

Meanwhile, Zhan’s father was aware of Zhan’s current location and he did his best to keep it confidential, blocking the way of everyone trying to get a hold of Zhan. Zhan was safe, he was surprised to find that Zhan owned a few companies there. He had hired people to run the companies for him and they did a good job. Zhan was just waiting for Yibo to say the word and he would whisk him away to start afresh, he had already made plans for them both. In the end, Zhan had to go ahead of Yibo. He didn’t know if he was going to see Yibo again, he didn’t know how life over there would turn out but he needed to leave, for the sake of his sanity.

The Wang family also tried to locate Zhan but Xiao Zhang was one step ahead every time. He successfully covered Zhan’s tracks, without Zhan’s knowledge. Zhan wanted privacy and as a father, he felt this was all he could do to help.


	17. Chapter 17

At the go signal, a total of 12 motorcycles began racing. Xiao Zhan sat behind the pit wall, observing the motorcycle race. It had been 3 years since he left XYZ country. He had travelled everywhere at first, as if he was trying to escape something but finally settled in Migu after 6 months. His businesses were going well. The people he hired to take care of them were mostly loyal and straightforward. He had to drag a few of his managers to court for misappropriation of funds and spent the next 6 months gaining his grounds and fully taking over his businesses. He was extremely busy and time flew by really quickly. He did his utmost not to think of the spouse he left behind in XYZ country.

He had received an unexpected visitor a year ago. His father, Xiao Zhang had come visiting and they both worked out their differences. His father commended him for walking out of that inappropriate marriage but he made it clear that he was still legally married to Yibo. As for whether they would continue being married or get a divorce, the chances were 50%. He asked his father not to be too delighted. His father, though optimistic about the situation, did not argue with Zhan.

The race was a friendly one, a practice of some sorts. Xiao Zhan’s company were part of the sponsors for the team in red. Zhan had come to watch the race, not because he needed to be there but because he was aware a certain someone was going to be a part of today’s race.

Yibo arrived XYZ country 3 years ago. He looked everywhere for Zhan to no avail. In a foreign country, he did not have as much resources as he did back home. Besides, he had refused help from his parents. He wanted to do this, find Zhan all on his own. He had hired several people to help and they always found leads but it seemed they were always a bit too slow. Yibo noticed this pattern and tried another approach. He decided to make himself visible.

With his good looks and backing from his family, he was able to get a few modelling jobs, usually short term but just enough to put his face all over the media. He was on blogs, magazines, billboards…, he was everywhere. He hoped Zhan would see him someday and reach out to him knowing he had kept his promise, he had walked away from the life Zhan hated.

Yibo had always loved to race professionally. Back then, he was part of a motorcycle racing club. He did that for many years until he got married and joined the family’s business. He occasionally raced with a few people but he never did that professionally, mostly for fun and the thrill of it. His work took a lot of his time that he barely had any free time.

Yibo modelled to make himself visible, yes his looks helped him gain the attention of many and he had many fans but that was never his aim. He only wanted one person to find him. He took up motorcycle racing as this was something he liked doing and also as a form of distraction. He was racing casually with a group when he got noticed by a big brand. They approached him to work with them and he agreed. He had been with them for a little more than 4 months. He was preparing for a race hence he took part in this friendly race to see how he ranked compared to others. He was aware all the teams present had their sponsors and potential sponsors watching the race.

He wore a green racing suit and rode a bike which had a mix of green and black. He was leading this race, performing better than he could ever imagine. As he rode past a particular stand, he noticed a familiar logo. He remembered Zhan drew a similar picture back then. It wasn’t particularly eye catching but Yibo had it engraved in his heart. Zhan once said, “When I start my own company, I'm going to use this as its logo. If I cannot use it as it is, I would base my logo off it or it would be a part of the design”.

Yibo suddenly heard a crash. His heart was pounding. He wished and hoped it was what he was thinking but he didn’t want to be too hopeful. He had always been a step behind Zhan every time, he felt this would be the same. He didn’t even feel any pain when he skidded off the racing lane and collided with a road demarcation blocking off the other lanes that were not in use. He suddenly saw himself running towards the logo. He didn’t know if he would meet Zhan but he could ask about the company, that was a good place to start.

Zhan was watching the whole thing and saw Yibo’s motorcycle suddenly run off lane and hit a demarcation. He felt his soul nearly jump out of his body, only relaxing when he saw Yibo stand back up and started running towards him. He wondered if Yibo knew he was there. 

His first thought was to run away, he definitely had no idea how to face Yibo after running away for three years and hiding…he wondered why he had remained hidden for so long. His reason for leaving was to set up a life for himself and Yibo, right? He had missed his husband for three years. He had cried and there were times he wanted to go back but he couldn’t bring himself to do so, the Wang family hated him and he wanted nothing to do with them, he just wanted to take their only biological son away, that’s all.

He was set to walk in the opposite direction, away from Yibo but he couldn’t bring himself to move. Instead, he stood rooted to the spot with his back facing the direction Yibo was running from. He heard someone’s footsteps running towards him then suddenly stop. His palms were sweating. His Yibo was right behind him. He didn’t know what Yibo was thinking, if he had moved on, if he was here to tell him off for leaving like a coward, if Yibo had missed him too. Whatever the outcome today, he was sure he deserved it. He was ready to accept his fate.

“Zhan…”, Yibo took his helmet off and started to speak. “…is that really you? I’ve been looking for you everywhere”, Yibo was panting, though he asked, he could recognize Zhan anywhere, anytime and from any angle. He had a complete impression of Zhan in his heart.

Zhan remained on the spot as if he was glued. He wanted to turn around, hug Yibo, say he was sorry, kiss him but…he knew he had no right to do so. It all depended on what Yibo wanted now. He had left without a single word. 

“Zhan, please turn around, look at me”, Yibo’s voice was a little more stable now but it carried a lot of emotions. He sounded like a man who was tired and on the verge of giving up, holding on to the last bit of hope he could find. Zhan turned around slowly and his eyes met with Yibo’s, those eyes that had the ability to melt him. 

“Yibo, what are you doing here, you’re supposed to be racing. You were doing well. Your sponsors are watching”, he pointed towards something at a distance but Yibo did not take his eyes off him for even a moment. “Yibo, we can talk after the race, go back…”.

“Go back? What is the guarantee I would find you when I come back? I’ve been on your tail for 3 years but I miss you every single time. How did you know about my sponsor? Did you know I was here? Why didn’t you reach out to me?”, Yibo felt a bout of fear realizing that Zhan knew he was in this country but didn’t try to reach him. Was their marriage over? Zhan had not attempted to divorce him all this time, that was what had kept him going. “Zhan, why did you leave?”.

Zhan had tried to avoid looking out for Yibo but he was not blind. He had seen his posters everywhere. He was just too ashamed to contact him. He had stopped running hoping Yibo could find him. He wondered why he always left the hard work for Yibo to do even though he was the older one. He began to feel even more ashamed. “What was I supposed to do? How could I continue living there? if you were in my shoes, what would you have done?”

“I understand your pain, I understand your anger. I probably would have left but I would have taken you with me. I would have at least talked to you, told you my plans. Even if I didn’t want you to stop me, I would have reached out to you a lot sooner. I would never leave without a trace, I would never leave you hanging and heartbroken. I would never do that to you Zhan. Do you have any idea how I felt? What I had to go through to get to this stage? Do you even remember the promises you made to me?”

Yibo was emotional as he spoke. Zhan had a suffocating, heavy feeling in his chest. He had a lot to complain about, he had a lot of reasons why he left but right now, none of were enough to justify his actions. Zhan wanted nothing more than to hold him, say sorry for causing such a mess, he was always like this, making a mess and Yibo was always fixing things. 

Yibo, who was panicky a moment ago, walked to him and pulled him into a hug. He had noticed Zhan was still wearing his wedding ring. Zhan made no attempt to resist the hug. He had waited for this day for a long time. He was done running, he had made a life for them both, Yibo could rely on him if he wanted to. Yibo was already making a name for himself. Yibo had always been outstanding in whatever he did, he smiled at the thought of it.

“Zhan, I left everything behind the moment you left. I want to be with you, I’m ready to start the life I promised to before we got married. I…I’m sorry I took so long. I hope I’m not too late”.

He couldn’t continue speaking as Zhan suddenly sealed his lips with a kiss, only parting after a long while.

“Yibo, I have everything prepared. You just have to….you just need to come with me, that’s all”.

“Hmm”, Yibo smashed their lips together. This kiss lasted longer than the previous one. Zhan broke the kiss to speak. He had a lot to say.

“I’m sorry Yibo, I’m sorry”, he said while panting. “I shouldn’t have…”

Yibo wasn’t ready to talk right now he just wanted to make up for all the kisses they had missed these past years. 

“Who said you could stop kissing me?”

“……”


	18. Chapter 18

“Zhan, were you able to get across to the lawyer we spoke about during my visit?”

“Yes dad, I did…that was almost a year ago”.

……

“Zhan, your mum is asking, do you still like spicy food?”

“Yes dad, I still like spicy food. You know, your preferences just don’t change overnight”.

……

“Zhan, how old are you this year? Err…your mother is asking”.

“Dad, I doubt mother would ask such a question. Is there something you want to…”

“……”

Xiao Zhang ended the call knowing Zhan was about to tease him.

Zhan’s father had called him several times in just one day. Coming from a man who held a grudge for 3 years, this was a rather strange behavior. He mostly called to ask about things that were unimportant sometimes claiming Zhan’s mum asked him to call. How could Xiao Zhan not know why he was calling.

Xiao Zhang’s birthday was in a few weeks. The Xiao family had always spent their birthdays together apart from the few years when the father and son duo refused to talk to each other. Now, they had sorted out their differences…kind of and Zhan was no longer hiding, Zhan’s father wanted him to come over for his birthday but he could not bring himself to ask directly.

After beating around the bush for days, softening the ground, he decided to be as straight forward as he could. He inhaled and exhaled deeply several times then placed a call across to Zhan.

“Zhan, what are you doing next weekend? Your mother wants you to come over, you’ve not visited her in a long while”. This was the 7th phone call in just one day and Zhan was sure he was going to lose his mind, he had to put an end to it”.

“Mother wants me to come home? You disowned me, remember? I no longer have a home there. Even though we now talk, you never told me I was your son again. I don’t think I have any right to show up at your house”. Zhan sounded serious over the phone but in reality, he was trying hard not to laugh. His father looked tough but deep down, Zhan knew he wasn’t as tough as he portrayed.

“Ah, oh…talking of that. Your mum brought something to my attention. She said she never approved of my actions and since we’re a couple, we both have to agree to disown you. Doing it on my own does not count so…consider it invalid. You’re still my…”, Zhan could hear his father’s voice going lower and lower as he spoke. He had so much pride, this must have taken a lot for him to say. Zhan was sure his mother was standing right next to his father to make sure he said those words.

“Oh, is that so? Okay. Next weekend, Yibo and I are going on a vacation, we would be away for 2 weeks. While we are there, I would discuss this with him and let you know our reply when we return”.

“Zhan…you….”, Xiao Zhang looked at the phone he was holding and turned to look at his wife with a defeated look on his face. “That brat, he ended the call. He chooses his husband over us every single time. I told you, we should have had more children”. His wife simply chuckled and walked away, she sure understood her son and began to prepare for his arrival. “Ah, come back. Don’t support him. He really wants me to apologise? I didn’t disapprove of him getting back together with his partner, doesn’t that show how sorry I am?”, he walked to his wife in an attempt to win her over to his side.

Zhan on the other hand could no longer hold back his laughter. He laughed until his stomach hurt. Yibo walked in on him laughing and asked why he was laughing.

“Yibo, it’s a long story. Anyway, let’s go back to XYZ county next week, it’s my father’s birthday. Be my plus 1”.

“But…would I be welcome there? It’s your father’s birthday after all and I’m the reason you both have not been in good terms”.

Yibo and Zhan had started living together in a new country. Yibo continued to race professionally, he hardly had any time for modelling these days.

“He wants me to come over, he knows I would definitely come with you. He is just too proud to invite you directly”, Zhan wrapped his hands around Yibo’s waist and continued. “When we return, I would…” the rest of his words were whispered into Yibo’s ears.

“Hmm”, Yibo’s eyes widened as he nodded, the tip of his ears turning red. Zhan was amazed how after so many years, Yibo’s minute gestures still managed to make his heart flutter. That night, he got tossed and turned and ended up begging for mercy after 3 rounds.

……

“Baby, have you heard anything about YuBin?”, Zhan and Yibo had settled into their new life in a foreign country. Zhan’s businesses were doing very well and Yibo’s racing career was also going well. They both loved what they did and they spent most of their time together as usual. Zhan had always wondered what happened to YuBin after he left. He knew Haikuan could be ruthless and what YuBin did could not be easily forgiven. He could only hope Haikuan still had a soft spot for YuBin and be a little bit merciful.

“Why are you suddenly asking about YuBin? You miss your friend? Didn’t I tell you everything he did?” Yibo was helping to clear the kitchen, he didn’t lift his head as he spoke so Zhan was unable to see the anger in his eyes.

“Yeah, you did. I can’t help it, I get worried about him sometimes. I wonder if he is still…you know…”

Yibo was trying to avoid eye contact with Zhan. “Baby, Haikuan can be mean but he is not a monster. Your friend is alive and well, I’m sure of that. I don’t know his whereabouts though. Haikuan asked to take care of him so I let him”. He paused and continued, “Haikuan seemed to really like him. He was heartbroken after he found out YuBin’s feelings towards him were not sincere. I don’t know how he intends to handle it but I can assure you that he knows his limits”.

“Okay…but, you should call Haikuan and ask about him”.

“I think it’s better off if I don’t, Haikuan and I are not in a good place right now. He wronged me when he hurt you and it turns out his boyfriend had feelings for me. We…we should give him some time.”

“…”

Yibo noticed his reply was not enough to put Zhan at peace. “Baby, this is one of those matters that we shouldn’t pry too much into. We no longer have direct ties with the company and as such, a lot of information would not be readily available to us. If you really want to know his whereabouts…”

“No need. I trust you. You’re right, we shouldn’t pry too much. As long as he is well, that’s fine”. Zhan had learnt not to pry too much. He accidentally came in contact with some information the last time and things went downhill from there. He was just happy he and Yibo were able to get to the point they were in right now.

“Would you like to meet an old friend of mine? His name is Xu WeiZhou”, Yibo decided it was best if he changed the topic.

“Yes, the investigator? You spoke about him several times. You seem fond of him, I'm a bit curious. Is he your ex or something?”, Zhan asked nonchalantly but the plate Yibo was holding suddenly slipped and fell.

“Ha-ha…Baby…why would I want to introduce you to my…”. Yibo stopped talking instantly. He had no way to explain himself and revealed an awkward smile.

“……”

“Oh wow, he is really your ex, right?”.

His intention was to change the conversation and he ended up shooting himself in the foot. Yibo wanted the ground to open up and swallow him that instant.

……

“Let’s go somewhere this weekend. We hardly get to go anywhere together”. Xu WeiZhou spoke to his boyfriend Huang JingYu while they prepared for bed.

“I have only a week off, I intended to spend it with you at home. Why do you suddenly want to go out?”

“Well…there’s this friend of mine, the one I told you about. I worked with him recently, he is now married. His husband is really handsome and he kept showing off…I also want to show you off. They’re both returning to the country for a few days and he asked us to meet up, just to hang out”. WeiZhou was hardly competitive but JingYu had heard about this ‘friend’ too many times. He was curious about him.

“Hmm, it feels like I’m dating a child. Showing off his current boyfriend to his ex-boyfriend”, JingYu definitely knew this ‘friend’ was actually an ex-boyfriend. “So, where are we going?”

“To the northern state. You grew up there, you should show me around. Wear a facemask, people would hardly recognize you”. Huang JingYu worked as an actor and he was quite popular. He had a lot of fans but he preferred to keep a low profile, not showing up in public unless it was absolutely necessary. He preferred to spend his free time cuddled up in bed with WeiZhou but WeiZhou on the other hand always found a way to drag him out of the house and end up as his body guard, keeping the crowd away. WeiZhou had only seen Zhan’s picture and figured his boyfriend was more handsome. He couldn’t wait to gloat.

“Alright, whatever makes you happy”, the couple set out for the north a few days later, planning to meet up with Yibo and Zhan.

……

WeiZhou and JingYu sat in a private room in the restaurant where they had agreed to meet with Yibo and Zhan. They had been there for about 5 minutes. They were both dressed in a pair of blue jeans and a white t-shirt. They looked simple but eye catching. The outfit was a coincidence. Neither of them thought anything about it, probably because JingYu wore a long coat, a face cap and a facemask, trying to hide his identity from the public. By the time they got into the restaurant and he took of his coat, they both realized they were too similarly dressed.

Not long after, Yibo walked in holding Zhan’s hands. Both JingYu and WeiZhou seemed to be mesmerized by Zhan as they could not take their eyes off him. Both had their reasons for staring. Yibo felt proud but a little jealous at the same time.

“Hey, snap out of it WeiZhou, here meet Zhan. You’ve always wanted to meet him”. Yibo stood behind Zhan and held him by the waist. Zhan stretched his hands out for a handshake.

“Yibo told me everything you did for me when I was away, thank you, it’s nice to finally put a face to the name…”, ‘It’s nice to finally meet Yibo’s ex’, but Zhan could not bring himself to say it out loud.

WeiZhou returned the handshake. “Nice to meet you too. I saw your picture and I thought you were good looking. Seeing you now, it seems that picture did not do you any justice”. He pointed to the person beside him. “Here, meet my boyfriend…”.

“Huang JingYu, nice to meet you!”, Yibo was the first to speak. They had never met but JingYu was popular. “WeiZhou was not lying when he spoke about your good looks, you look even better in person”. Yibo smiled, acting all nice.

JingYu returned the pleasantries and turned to Zhan, who looked like he had seen a ghost.

“Hello Zhan, long time no see”.

“Ha-ha, Hello JingYu. How have you been?”, Zhan was blushing slightly.

“You both know each other?”

“Yes, we grew up not too far from each other. We were quite close in our teenage years”, JingYu replied as he sat back down. WeiZhou felt there was more to it.

“Oh, so you both were friends? Why did you stop being friends?”

“Well, I…”

“That was a long time ago, let’s have something to eat, I’m starving”, Zhan quickly cut off JingYu’s speech.

They ate and talked at length, promising to keep in touch before going their separate ways.

“Alright, tell me how you know Zhan”. WeiZhou had been itching to ask. He was always well composed but if it concerned JingYu, he could hardly keep calm. He barely managed to make it through the meal.

“We were friends…until I tried to kiss him”.

“JINGYU!!! Ah…”.

……

“So, your ex and my ex ended up together? What sort of weird relationship is this? Can we stop being friends with them?”, Yibo was finding it difficult to accept the fact that Zhan may have dated someone before him. How come he had never heard of any ex? He told Zhan about everyone he dated in the past, even though he didn’t mention names.

“I’ve told you, he isn’t my ex. He only tried to kiss me once and I stopped talking to him. Can you stop making this feel awkward? Besides, who asked them to keep in touch? Why do you want to keep in touch with your ex?”

“I..I asked to keep in touch to be nice. Besides, WeiZhou means no harm. He is really a nice person. He has been of help to us”.

“Yeah? JingYu is also a nice person… Yibo…let’s not do this. Don’t you know? I’ve only ever being in love with one person my entire life. You are the only person I’ve been intimate with. I’ve never been with anyone else. I had all my firsts with you, you on the other hand…”

“Okay okay okay, you win. I was wrong. I got jealous for a moment”. Zhan never knew he would one day have to use this ‘I’ve only ever slept with you’ card on Yibo but it turned out pretty effective.

After their visit to XYZ country, they returned back to their simple and happy life. Zhan wondered how he managed those 3 years without Yibo by his side. He never had the courage to bring it up with Yibo, there was no point opening up old wounds. Zhan and Yibo agreed silently on this.

All differences have been sorted, all relationships have been mended as much as they could. As for Yibo’s family, Zhan had forgiven them. They had their reasons for doing what they did. Besides, they were important to his Yibo. He just wasn’t ready to face them yet. When the time comes, they would definitely meet again.

He looked at Yibo, walking beside him on the beach, where they spent a lot of their free time. He held his hands, intertwining them with his own. He knew, this man right here was his past, present and future.

Both said nothing but both knew they were thinking the same thing in their hearts. They loved each other, forever and nothing could ever change that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading to this point. Please leave a kudos and/or comment if you enjoyed it.


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